Flying through the US is a nightmare, everyone knows that - but it's not just because of the massive security push, the fact you have to take your shoes off about four times before you even set foot in the airport, and hand over your mother's cousin's social security number before you can board the plane.

I can deal with all that. They don't want people hijacking their planes - fair enough. It's all the airline-related hassles I resent.

It's not like there's no reliable model to go on for running a good airline. The Asian and Middle Eastern airlines are an absolute dream compared to anyone based in the US of A. Why don't they just copy them?

It starts from the moment you jump online to book your flights. If you want to fly, say, United, you'll find you can't book a domestic flight on their website unless you have an American-issued credit card (you can use their Australian-based website though). Otherwise, you'll have to go to a travel agent in the US. It's as if they think no one living outside the States could possibly have the means to fly in a big aeroplane.

So that's United. You'll be fine booking domestic flights with American Airlines. US Air is okay too - you'll just have to make up a fake American phone number, since the website can't get its head around foreign phone numbers. Continental is fine. North-West and Delta will let you get up to the payment stage, then redirect you to its Australian site, where you'll have to start all over again.

There's a way around these problems though - go to one of the aggregator sites like priceline.com, and book flights with any of the airlines on there. You find all the flights leave at ridiculous times like 11.48am, or 2.12pm, but, whatever.

With your flight booked, you then head to an American airport, most of which are complete chaos. By the time you find out where you're supposed to be, you'll realise the airlines have done away with most of the actual "people" working for them, and you have to check in at a machine.

This is pretty straightforward with practice, but it's the added extras that get me. If you're flying domestic, the machine will tack travel insurance onto your ticket. No thanks, don't want that. Oh, and you've been upgraded to business for just $300 extra. Press here to cancel that option. Cancel.

Checking a bag in? That'll cost you $20. Please swipe your credit card. What if I don't have a credit card? Could you have warned me about that in advance?

You almost find yourself waiting for the option to pay $50 more for a plane with wings.

Phew. Okay, all that's out of the way, and you can board your flight. Hoping for one of those nifty little TV screens on the seat in front of you? No chance.

I took an hour-long flight from Washington to New York recently: no telly. Fine, it's only a short flight. Then I flew four hours from Chicago to Seattle: no telly. Bit annoying, but I could deal with it. Then I flew 14 hours from LA to Sydney: still no telly. In the words of a great American: you cannot be serious.

Ah well, might as well kick back and enjoy my meal. Except ... there's no meal.

Food on US carriers used to be bad - I remember flying about 10 years ago and being presented with a mini pizza and a small packet of M&Ms. Now? If you're on an international flight you'll at least get something to eat.

Domestic travellers, though, often get nothing. Nada. Nilch. It might be a four- or five-hour flight, but the tastiest thing you'll get to munch on will be your arm rest. You might get a small snack. But you'll have to pay for a beer to wash it down. These aren't budget carriers, but they act like it.

I don't want to be totally negative though. I guess the one thing all my US flights have had in common is that they've all landed safely. Which, you'd have to agree, is a nice touch.

But things could be a lot better.

Maybe once Obama's done sorting out the health care system and the war on drugs and the terrorists and the motoring industry, he could give his country's airlines a nudge...

What's been your experience with US carriers? Do you have a problem with them?

STOP PRESS
I need your help (as usual)! My first book, a spin-off of this blog, is due out in April next year. Trouble is, I can't decide on a title, so I'm putting it open to a public vote. If you want to put in your two cents, head here. Thanks!

LATEST COMMENTS

I completely agree with you. I'm from Texas but now live in Sydney. I refuse to fly with an American airline from Sydney to LA. I have tried both United and American before and hated every minute of it. I'll stick with Qantas thanks. But unfortunately for me to get home and see family I have to use an American airline. You get squashed into a tiny plane with no food or tv to help you pass the time. They give you the bare minimum to get you through your journey and still charge you an arm and a leg.

But if you do find yourself travelling through the US i suggest using Southwest Airlines. They seem to be the best of the lot and we now use them everytime...although they could use some improvements as well.

We recently went home to the US with my then 8 month old son. On Qantas he had a seatbelt that connected to mine while he sat in my lap. Are we were about to take off from Las Vegas heading to Houston they hadn't given me his belt. When I asked for it she said "Oh no we don't have those. It's very dangerous for him to have a belt." What?!?!

Posted by: Jennifer on September 9, 2009 10:12 AM

If you are a completely objective blogger about US air travel then you would have mentioned that Virgin exists in that country. Having just come back from the states, i can assure you that Virgin America is the pinnacle of flying the US. TV's and wireless internet.... what more could you want?

I've never made that claim. - Ben

Posted by: Ben on September 9, 2009 10:39 AM

I was over there 2 months ago and flew Virgin America for the first time.

Trust me, it is by far the best airline in the US with all new aircraft.

They even had WIFI during the flight so you could work on your laptop or iphone for a very reasonable price (US$5)

Cheers!

Posted by: Jay on September 9, 2009 10:46 AM

The demise of US domestic airline quality? Sounds simplistic but the reason probably lies with the Reagan administration. In its neocon drive for mythical free markets, airlines were deregulated in the late 1980s. Down went the fare prices, that were actually OK beforehand, and with them a mysterious term that does not feature in "MBA-speak", QUALITY. I have had numerous business trips within USA, flying in and out of major hubs and 26 States from the early 1980s to the the present. The difference between pre- and post deregulation airline service quality is staggering. This of course is separate from security issues since 2001.

Posted by: John on September 9, 2009 10:47 AM

Flying extennsively in the Americas, I flew AA and Mexican on the same route. Mexican was far superior. Overnight flight from Miami to Rio with AA was as bad as described in the other blogs. If you can, avoid.

Posted by: Greg Pemberton on September 9, 2009 10:48 AM

The US airlines seem to spend half of their existence in some sort of bankruptcy protection and when they are not in 'chapter 11' they are making a loss. How can any business continue to run for decades without turning a healthy profit at some point?
I had the misfortune of flying American between LA and Miami, everything in the aircraft was threadbare, the carpets & seats looked like they hadn’t been maintained since the aircraft was built. Looking at that I had to wonder at what other maintenance they were cost cutting on?
As much as we love to complain about Qantas at least you feel safe when you step on board.

Posted by: Rod on September 9, 2009 10:51 AM

I have to say too that Virgin America was an eye-opener. Flew them last month between LA and San Francisco. The pilot came out of the cockpit and introduced himself, the safety video was a very funny cartoon (probably the first time I've ever watched one), there was plenty of room for butt and legs and the entertainment was good.

With regard to your comment about foreign credit cards, Australian banks are hopeless with overseas authorisations. So if you're paying over the phone or internet, i.e. with no ID, then very few American companies, not just airlines, will be interested.

Posted by: Ant on September 9, 2009 10:54 AM

This is too much of generalization statement

I've recently travel on both Virgin America & JetBlue

My 5 flight all left and on time and arrived earlier, inflight service was excellent & they all had Free Live TV and entertainment in seat back,

Jetblue may not be hip as Virgin America but they have 3 inches more leg room then their Aussie rivals & their blue chips was nice touch

Posted by: Andrew on September 9, 2009 10:55 AM

Not sure why you had problems booking US domestic flights with United using a Aussie credit card. I've just come back from 5 weeks in the US with family including hops between the Left and Right coasts and had no problems booking and paying on the Web before I left.

As for airline food - those are two words that should never be used together. Go without for a few hours - it'll do you good.

I'm not really interested in the in-flight entertainment either. Just sleep, or read a book, or listen to your iPod.

As a frequent traveller, I'll swap all the food and movies in the world for a better seat. On the few times I've been upgraded to business class I didn't watch the TV or eat the meals anyway.

Posted by: Craig on September 9, 2009 10:58 AM

I have to agree!

Ive had issues from day one with American Airlines (as in the airline called American Airlines).

Im catching 12 planes with them over my visit to the US.

I found this MEGA CHEAP fair...i was extreamly surprised! Houston to NYC for $220 return!

I was soo excited and booked it right away. In all of it I put my first name as my last name and my last name as my first name!

A little stressed, but with the thought in my head it would be ok. Called them up thinking it would be easy to fix....was i in for a surprise!

They said to me that they may not let me on the plane as it would not match my passport. They said you can risk it and it may be fine..but there is a risk! I can change it for you but it cost $60. Im like...surely there is something we can do. It was a mistake..Im spending like $1500 with you guys..cmon.."Im very sir, there is nothing I can do"

I thought..it was my fault and did not want to got to the airport wondering if i was going to be able to get on the plane...so i just paid it.

This was not the end! My Sis booked a flight for me and her for LA to San Fran and made the same mistake. She called up and they said they will change it. Just like that!

So over all there are pretty money hungary and dont care about the customers.

Posted by: James on September 9, 2009 11:00 AM

America is supposed to be the land of the free, but freedom and true competition don't exist in the American airline industry.

Their problems include:

Lack of labour market flexibilty leading to some staff being paid much more than on competitors. As a result other costs have to be cut, but those cuts affect the customer experience.

Lack of capital competition as a result of the low limit on overseas shareholdings. This leads to management complacency.

The seniority system for flight attendants, resulting in the younger keener attendants flying Pittsburg to Little Rock, whilst the jaded, unfriendly and overpaid fly on the commercially more important long-haul routes.

A much greater proportion of their business is domestic, where they don't have quality competition - great airlines like Singapore, Cathay Pacific, Asiana, Emirates and Qatar have little or no domestic flights.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy laws that allow 'dead' airlines to rise from the grave, when they should be cleared from the field. This adds to management complacency and union militancy.

America has some of the world's best companies that excel in industries in which their is intense competition. A rollback of the regulatory protection and some real competition would lead to improvements for US airline customers.

Posted by: Martin on September 9, 2009 11:03 AM

Jet Blue is really good!

I had a very painful day flying in the USA. San fran to Philly via chicago. Flight from san fran to chicago had to land in a far off distant city of illnois because of storms in chicago, a four hour flight turned into 6 with about an hour on the tarmac in the far off distant city with no air con and no offer of water or anything ... in the middle of summer. Landed in chicago only to have to re-book the next flight ... on the phone! finally get to philly at 9pm, after leaving san fran at 6am ... and no bags! it was all us air ... never again! the only tiny bit of food that I was given was a breakfast bar about as thick as a pencil and a mini bottle of water!

Posted by: P on September 9, 2009 11:06 AM

Americans lead the weay - but other airlines are catching up in bad service. I've noticed the once mighty Thai Airways starting to slip in its quality of service in a BIG way.

Posted by: AFR on September 9, 2009 11:07 AM

Flying in the US sucks big time. As a 13 year old kid I was flying from Texas back to NZ and I had to go Dallas-Chicago-LA-Auckland, and on the very first flight from Dallas to Chicago they put me up the back and in a row with an obease woman, she was in the middle and I had the isle, when I go to the seat she had raised the arm rest so that she had taken over my seat as well so I only had half the seat and was squashed into the isle, I asked for a seat change but there weren't any, so I was squashed for the 4 hours (I think) it took, my revenge was spewing everywhere once we landed, having your stomach squashed up against the other arm rest will do that to you.

Posted by: cbomb on September 9, 2009 11:08 AM

The aircraft was invented by the Americans, how complacent can they be that they missed maintaining quality services.

But hey, AAirlines are better than BA and Qantas, eh.

Posted by: DJ on September 9, 2009 11:08 AM

I have been booking flights on united airlines with my aussie credit card for a good ten years now.... dont know what your problem is, certainly agree with the rest of your story

Posted by: Tony Sheridan on September 9, 2009 11:08 AM

Flew in the US in 2000. From one side of the country to the other, Seattle to Washington DC and return, with a stop-over in St Louis each way. We got a foil wrapped piece of bread and a chunk of cheddar cheese to see us through the flight. It was TWA, now defunct, and no wonder.

Posted by: Denis Murrell on September 9, 2009 11:10 AM

I travel to and within the US extensively – great topic. We have a lot of people whinging here about Qantas and our airlines – our airlines are luxury compared to the States. I wonder how the Yanks feel when they travel domestically within our country.

The answer is simple: money. The US airlines don’t have any. The Middle Eastern carriers have endless amounts of money (heck, they can buy 50 to 100 aircraft whenever they want without blinking an eye). Most of the US carriers need new aircraft but they don’t have the money. It is easier and cheaper to eliminate aspects of service or start charging for them – all of those things don’t create revenue, they are just a cost unless you put another charge on it. But when one introduces a charge or takes something out, they all seem to follow.

The checked bag payment has its pros and cons – it is better to charge people with bags that raise prices for everyone. It is just annoying that people then want to carry everything on board to save themselves $20 (just like Tiger Airways here).

By far and away the most annoying thing about the US is the carry on limits (or lack of it). Passengers can bring on board just about everything they own, not only clogging up the limited cabin space, but slowing the whole boarding/deboarding process as well. The fact they now charge for checking bags is making the problems worse and yet I hardly see any sort of enforcement of their ‘rules’. Americans seem to think they have to bring everything they own with them at all times. While our rules here seem ‘tough’, I am glad we limit what we can carry on or check in.

And in relation to booking domestic flights, I can book my flights on Alaskan with my Australian credit card and same with United (the trick is to go to the .au site, not the US website).

Overall, I know what to expect these days and I live with it. If you aren’t aware of it and you have a couple of domestic flights, it is a shock to the system. If anything, it reminds you again how good it is to have our domestic carriers.

Posted by: SC on September 9, 2009 11:15 AM

If you have never flown before and you were served up with an American airline service, you would assume that this is what being on an airplane is like, and accept it.

The above describes an average american. One who never leaves the US.

Additionally, it is not in the interest American airlines to improve (especially domestically) unless there is a competitor out there who is willing to provide a service at a comparable price.

We are lucky in Australia that we have decent airlines to compare the Jetstars of the world against

Posted by: Ami on September 9, 2009 11:18 AM

Your report isn't exactly correct. I am a Qantas Platinum FF and am flying to the states next month. My sister in NYC made it clear to avoid AA at ALL costs. "The staff have been stripped of their benefits, so they don't want to be there and they will not help you in any way. The flight attendants are old and are nowhere to be seen, and if your luggage gets lost, they just don't care."

As a result I was willing to forgo my benefits and investigate United and Virgin. While United.com doesn't let you book using an Australian credit card, united.com.au certainly does. While Virgin America certainly is newer, and I'm sure has better customer service than the legacy carriers, I was concerned that their small fleet means that if one flight has a mechanical fault, or is delayed, it impacts on the entire network. So we decided united.

And here's a tip. Book on the Australian website, then log into the US site to view your itinerary. You'll find you can purchase premium economy for $30US more, and in an effort to gain every "nickel and dime" you can purchase everything from priority services, and club access. Calling United is a whole other story. I was routed to the Phillipines where the call centre operater attempted to sell me everything, including a united credit card.

In the end, I am eternally grateful that our local carriers have great products,a long the entire spectrum of fares. It amazes me that US legacy carriers, when all are on the brink of chapter 11, don't see upgrading their products and services as a way to stay afloat.

Posted by: Mike on September 9, 2009 11:19 AM

I am in Toronto and flying to or through the US is a bloody nightmare.

Firstly the airports are almost all run down sheds (Chicago the exception), dirty, crowded, disorganised and ..... did I say dirty?

Then the customs blokes are just a discrace, no other word for it.

Then you get on the plane and good god, tired, old, dirty ..... yipes. Too United from LA to Sydney and whilst the staff were fine I swear that 747 must have bene running back and forth for 30 years across the pacific.

I find Air Canada much better, very .... boring ... but great entertainment packages and fresh planes unless you get stuck on an old 767.

The worst thing about US flying though is the people, there seems a disporoportionate amount of lower class individuals. I'm not taling the equivilent of our 't-shirt, thongs but well showered" ... more like tracky dacks, oily hair and sweaty shirts. It's just like taking a bus in the sky over there ... bizarre.

Posted by: Alf on September 9, 2009 11:20 AM

I was very disappointed to fly to the US on United recently only to find that in economy class, if you want an alcoholoic drink then that'll either be USD6 or AUD8 for the privilege.

On a flight back from SFO-SYD, breakfast consisted of a pancake & a danish. No fruit, no yogurt, no low fat alternatives!

So not only are there no TV screens to entertain you, or in seat power so you can watch your own movies on demand, it'll cost you money to have a wine or beer!

I had to fly for work, and unfortunately, United was substantially cheaper than Qantas...but if I had the choice - never again.

Posted by: Kaybee on September 9, 2009 11:21 AM

Agreed. I frew up in California and now live in Sydney. I used to fly United to the USA on a regular basis. I put up with the no headrest screens and average service until about two years ago. On a flight from Sydney to LA there was no announcement about what was for dinner. The flight attendants walked down the aisle shouting, "chicken or beef?". When I asked the meal she just said, "chicken or beef?" and then ripped the foil off the trays and put them in my face to decide. After flying with them for 20 years I was informed that they never make an announcement on what they would be serving. Funny... they used to. Then they served up green/grey eggs for breakfast with a smile.

I flew on the Qantas A380 in January. What a difference. Great service, great plane, great headrest screens and selection and the food was even pretty good. Aussies like to complain about Qantas but it is actually a really good world class airline!

Posted by: Walaby on September 9, 2009 11:23 AM

I think my worst experience involes their chaotic requirements to "re-confirm" every flight. I booked a United Airlines flight at 8pm on a Tuesday night from Las vegas to LAX - the flight was at 6.33am the next morning.
I arrived at the airport (at 5am) to be told that because I hadn't re-confirmed my flight - I'd been bounced. Like I would change my mind overnight? Finally got an am Amercian Airlines flight at 11am but I missed my 1pm LAX -SYD connection but was so relieved to get back onto that Qantas bird later that day and back to relative aviation "civilisation"....

Posted by: Keith on September 9, 2009 11:25 AM

As a frequent traveller to the U.S, I can tell you this. The crews, both cabin crew and pilots,as well as ground staff, in the U.S. are all overworked and underpaid. In other words, you get what you pay for. An identical situation will start here in Oz if airlines are allowed to implement the ridiculous minumum rules recently passed by the AIRC for airline employees. So, if one takes the U.S. as an example of poor airlines due to overworked and underpaid employees, then it is logical to assume that the same will aplly here in Australia.

Posted by: Geoff on September 9, 2009 11:25 AM

My wife is American and we have been visiting there at least once a year for the last fifteen years. Your assessment of their airlines is pretty much spot on but you are way off with your characterisation of American airports being "complete chaos". My experience has been that since September 11, many US airports have been rebuilt or remodelled to handle the extra security requirements and are now much more efficient. It used to be that you had to spend at least an hour waiting in line to get screened and x-rayed, but on recent trips, we have been spendig just 15-20 minutes from the time we step out of the taxi to the time we are at the gate. We flew nine domestic legs in the US early this year through five cities and not once did it take us longer than half an hour. Yes, LAX and JFK still suck but hubs like Boston, Chicago and Charlotte are very efficient. We flew to the US via Adelaide and Sydney and both of these airports were a huge pain in the arse. Adelaide's brand new airport was brilliantly designed with just two x-ray machines so we had to wait ages to be screened and then when we got to Sydney (late), there were so many people waiting for the bus transfer over to the international terminal that the queue actually extended all the way up the escalators and up into the domestic terminal. Our flight to the States ended up being delayed by almost an hour because so many people were stuck just trying to get to the right terminal - thats what complete chaos looks like. My advice when in the US is to fly with Southwest airlines. Very cheap, friendly staff, fee snacks and non-alcholic drinks and free checked baggage (unlike Virgin Blue, Tiger or Jetstar's cheapest tickets)

Posted by: Shaun on September 9, 2009 11:36 AM

the first international flight i was on was a United flight, Sydney to NY and then around the various state before LA - Sydney home. Worst. Airline. Experience. Ever. I got a Hotdog for breakfast on my first elg and SYD - NY with no TV! yes, that's 22 hours and no in flight entertainment (and this was in 2003). i'm pretty eager to get back over there, but only with a non-US airline...

Posted by: Bambi on September 9, 2009 11:41 AM

I flew United to the States a few years ago and can honestly say that I'd never encountered ruder staff, worse service and this idea that someone is doing you a favour by letting you be on the plane you paid a couple of thousand dollars to board. Their staff was unfriendly, their planes can't match any Asian or European carrier on long haul flights, their security is over the top, and I definitely don't see any reason why the US Immigration should have my fingerprints. I felt like a criminal on a mercy flight to a foreign location, who didn't have the right to a glass of water without being reminded that the level of United staff's mercy would determine my level of thirst or hunger. Not to mention being fingerprinted before even setting foot on their soil. What a terrible way to psychologically 'frame' foreign perceptions of America -- 'welcome to the US, we are paranoid about your presence!'. I have yet to go to another country that fingerprints everyone on entrance.

Having said that, once in the US --as always, all was forgotten -- because they are such friendly & warm people in every other way.

But they really need to get their act together when it comes to air travel. If they don't want to make their customers happy, they shouldn't be in the business of air travel. Pardon this sharp analogy, but they should run 'humane relocations', if that's the business they think they are in.

Their airports are a case study in how not to run an airport -- the atmosphere at airports is chaotic and stressful. They could learn a lot from places like Singapore, KL, Bangkok ...

Their airports and airlines are the main reason I hate travelling to the US. No trip should begin and end with that level of stress and paranoia. And I am definitely not flying United ever again, if I can help it. A 14 hour flight requires a passenger to eat and drink water more than once. If it is a novel concept, ask the CEO to take a Singapore Airlines flight.

Posted by: Sydneysider on September 9, 2009 11:45 AM

I have flown Delta from Nyc to LA and the only problem we had was turbalance and they had to keep the seat belt sign on for the 1st hour of the trip and of course some people didnt obey that and the flight attendants got angry.

Other than that no bad experience.

Would love to know which airline had no tv from LA to Sydney

Posted by: Shell on September 9, 2009 11:48 AM

I would have to agree. I used to fly all over the world for work and ANY other airline other than any american airline was 1,000,000 times better. American Airline staff are rude and obnoxious and treat you as a criminal rather than a fare paying passenger. Not to mention that I have also had aborted take offs with American Airlines and been scared out of my wits when flying with them. The standard of food is dreadful and the entertainment (or lack of) is beyond boring.....

Posted by: Rebekah on September 9, 2009 11:50 AM

To Martin: Great post sir. There are some great people working for US airlines but they are Canute.

I have been living in the US for 6 years now and used to pretty poor service on airlines. Except in the recession if you are a gold local FF member you get upgraded to "business" - in the loosest possible sense of the word - every time.

Pointer to all: if you are on the airline website on your laptop in the airport and your flight suddenly shows up as landing tomorrow rather than today, DON'T discuss with the gate/lounge staff but RUN to customer service and whine for a hotel room before the other 200 people follow you having received the "official" news. Happened to me twice.

Agree re not accepting Aussie cards. Have been a Delta gold flyer for some years, tried to book a relative's flight with their Aussie card, did not even get the luxury of being bumped to their .com.au web site. Had to use my US card.

Posted by: wilj on September 9, 2009 11:50 AM

There is one exception - United's FF program is very generous. If you do 3-4 trips/yr (in economy) to the US you can reach the top level, where they actually treat you very well, with plenty of upgrades, and flying across the US is then tolerable. Their FF program blows the doors off of Qantas (which is rubbish). Otherwise though I agree, US airlines suck.

Posted by: dave moss on September 9, 2009 11:53 AM

Just back from 3 weeks in the US - we had 3 internal flights. First was with United, where you check in on the curb...bit unnerving leaving your bags out in the street. $15 per checked bag. Second was with American, $20 per bag plus an extra $125 because one bag was 3 pounds overweight - the flight was then over an hour late. The last one was with US Airways, who checked our 4 bags (2 each) and sent them to our final destination (Sydney via a V Australia flight), without charging a cent. Plus you could check in inside the terminal with no lineup - fantastic. No tellies or food on any of the flights. On the upside, they were cheap - we didn't pay over $100 US for a flight. V Australia to and from LA was great, I'd highly recommend it.

Posted by: AM on September 9, 2009 11:53 AM

I am looking to travel to the United States within the next year and have been researching my airline options. I will definitely be flying Qantas to LAX, however, I still need to find a decent airline to my final destination (Virgin America doesn't fly there). From the reviews I have read looks like I'm in for a 5 hour flight on a flying coffin with my knees crammed against the seat in front. Unfortunate that America is the wealthiest economy in the world, yet fails to provide a decent airline.

Posted by: Ned on September 9, 2009 11:57 AM

What is it about Australians and your romantic notion of air-travel (you have been duped by the years of Qantas advertising to you about how flying should be the most pleasurable experience of your life). It gets you between point A and point B, its that simple. Why should a passenger who wants to read a book subsidise passengers who want TVs installed? Why should passengers who don't want to (the mostly inedible) airline food subsidise passengers who want to eat? (Its not that hard to bring your own.) Why should passengers with as little carry on baggage as a breifcase subsidise the holiday traveler checking two bags? I think you need to take a reality check and just get on with it.

Posted by: DC GUY on September 9, 2009 11:58 AM

United fly old 747's from SYD to LAX and SFO. If you happen to be on one of these flights, take your laptop, ipod, magazines, books, portable DVD's etc as there are no entertainment units.
I flew to SFO in December on United - the food was not bad, but you should always pick up some chocolate in duty free.

Posted by: kylie on September 9, 2009 12:07 PM

For those who fly Australia to New York sometimes or often, the answer is Qantas flights QF107/108. Total return trip on Qantas. I don't care that the new A380 doesn't fly this route - 747 is fine with me. US airlines are truly bad and I'm American.

Posted by: AJ on September 9, 2009 12:07 PM

My wife and I went to the US for our vacation in 2008. Because we sport an Australian passport, we were given the 15-minute (or longer) security check at all the domestic and international airport. Apparently, the yanks don't trust Aussies.

Now why are the diggers in Iraq and Afganistan again?

Don't complain. Our national carrier, Qantas, is eyeing the way the yanks are doing business there so don't be surprised if their standards will come here.

Posted by: Mark on September 9, 2009 12:10 PM

I have traveled a bit and my worst experiences were on US airlines. My friends and I were flying to LA and one of us had been seated on the other side of the plane. We swapped seats a few times so he was not on his own for the entire flight. The steward came up and questioned us extensively as to why we kept changing seats and asked us to stop when we explained why. We were refused service after only three drinks in the course of about four hours. When my friend (who had not travelled overseas before) asked what he should write on his customs card he was asked 'what are you?' He said I dont understand your question, Im a person, what do you mean. Eyes were rolled and the question asked again, what are you? He said Im a tourist. This received the snide response of 'tourist? Thats a strange sounding country' Why did such a simple question have to be turned into such a sneering display of contempt? I'll never forget the rudeness we experienced on that flight and Im in no hurry to go to the US again because of it. It didnt stop there. Airport staff were rude and dont even get me started on New Yorkers. Its commonly said that the French are the rudest people, but New Yorkers beat them hands down.

Posted by: Kate on September 9, 2009 12:14 PM

I flew from London to New York last year with United Airlines, and of course had to land in Washington to go through security to then fly on to New York. I literally had to go through security, pick up my bag, and put it onto another conveyor belt. Simple right? Well in comparison to the questions asked at security (who asked whether I had any "personal" electronic equipment in my bags) then had to find my way to my connecting flight which was in an hours time, only to find that it was leaving from basically the other side of the country. Well not quite, but it seemed that way.
So I got to where my flight was leaving from, to find that it had been delayed a few hours. Here's when I discovered that those tv shows of people abusing airline staff aren't put on for show and REALLy happen.
I wasn't in a hurry so I sat down and waited....
So eventually I got onto a Dash 8 plane, which hilariously enough actually had a first class section (this kept me amused for the entire flight to New York).
I got off the plane and went to collect my luggage. And I waited, and waited, and waited. Eventually it became apparent that my bag hadn't made my flight.
So I reported it missing, and was told that they would probably get it to me tomorrow. Luckily I'd packed half of my clothes in my carry on backpack so I actually had some clothes as I was give absolutely nothing else.
When I eventually got my bag back late the next afternoon, I was told that for my troubles I could be given a $50 voucher. When I asked what good it would do me seeing I was on a round-the-world ticket and it was all paid for, plus I was Australian and it was literally worth SFA, I was basically hung up on.

Posted by: Aussie travellor on September 9, 2009 12:15 PM

As an American who lives in a very small city in a very unpopulated state, the option of who you are able to fly with tends to be pretty minimal. There are only actually 3 airlines that fly out of the airport in my home "city", only 1 of which fly's east one of which flys south and one of which fly's only around the pacific northwest. And all cost $200 just to get to the nearest larger airport to fly on to your next desitination (in which you generally have to switch carriers) meaning that to fly anywhere in the country (except the 3 nearest large airports) the cost of a flight is going to be at least $3-400. Keep in mind, this $200 flight is like going from Cairns to Brisbane. When I am able to I absolutely refuse to fly an American airline and will not allow any of my family to (even if it is cheaper) when coming to visit me.

Posted by: Aryn on September 9, 2009 12:17 PM

US airlines are soooo offensive because they flog the idea of service but there isn't any. If they'd shut up, we wouldn't be so offended. Must say, I think Qantas internationally has sucked big time for the last seven or so years.
!5 yrs flying around America and I've had some bad ones, but Qantas NY/LA-Sydney are appalling long haul flights.

Posted by: Greg on September 9, 2009 12:20 PM

My husband and I fly to America nearly once a year, with United. We also fly Singapore Airlines or Malaysian Airlines if we are travelling to Europe. There is just no comparison, particularly in Economy. Singapore Airlines: great food, attentive and incredibly polite service, more leg room, pristine toilets cleaned regularly, telly on the back of the seat, personal video etc etc. United Airlines: the grumpiest, oldest and most disinterested attendants of any airline, anywhere, no TV except one you have to break your neck to see, movies are all aimed at three year olds in case they offend anyone, toilets that are often already dirty when you get , and terrible food. Now they have the hide to charge you for a drink in economy on a long haul flight! Even when we flew United Business, we had a grumpy steward who snarled at us, as if it was our fault he didn't have our choice of meal. They deserve to go broke.

Posted by: kate on September 9, 2009 12:23 PM

I have also lived in the US for the past 10 years, and have travelled extensively during that time - over a million miles on AA alone :(

Jet Blue, Southwest, Continental (even if you have to pay $6 for satellite TV) are all fairly good, and yes food is non existent on most flights - unless you want to "buy a snack".

But I tell you, I fly regularly to Europe on the famous German airline beginning with "L", and their food has to be the wost food I have EVER eaten - on a plane or not !!

Posted by: JP on September 9, 2009 12:24 PM

I'm actually flying to the US tomorrow via LAX on Qantas. Qantas is a dream compared to the American airlines and unfortunately I'm flying on AA from LAX-DFW-BWI tomorrow as well. Not looking forward to it. I will more than likely be starving for the entire day as they don't feed you on AA flights.

JetBlue is an awesome airline and pretty cheap. Southwest is cheap but doesn't come with any extras but you get what you pay for. Continental Airlines is actually decent. I flew on them RT from Newark to Honolulu in 2006. Was on a brand new plane with a tv at every seat and half the plane was empty.

Having flown on most of the airlines in the US (I grew up in America) I would probably recommend JetBlue and Southwest (I'm flying Southwest from Philly to Austin, Texas in a few weeks).

Posted by: redberrie on September 9, 2009 12:24 PM

I fly through the US three times per year, my worst experience to date is United. Sydney to LAX.
First Class Round World Fare.
Seat was broken, would not even tilt back,
not enough food for all the first class guests,
60 + year old cabin crew who were rude, cranky and not interested in service,
on board entertainment unit was broken,
on board lap top power was broken. (Found that out only after they charged me $180 US to purchase a converter from standard US plug to ancient United Airlines power outlet plug. They did refund the converter after it was found not to work.

The final insult was when i landed at LAX to fly onto New York. I was informed that the first class lounge was being used for a the filming of a promotional video, and was directed to the business lounge. I was informed at the business lounge that my first class fare did not entitle me to use the business lounge as it was a private club. I was directed to spend the 5 hours sitting at the gate or for a fee of a couple of hundred dollars I could join their Red Carpet Club.
I now fly via UAE on emirates or Etihad to avoid United. Or via Singpapore on SIA.
I am flying V on my next trip.

Posted by: Darren on September 9, 2009 12:26 PM

I did fly with more than 10 international airlines and United came to be THE worst experience when I commuted between LA and NYC in March this year:
1. The planes were tiny and crammed;
2. Service and food (boxed for USD$9) were third-class;
3. cabinet temperature too high and irritating;
4. onboard entertainment, almost none;
5. interior damaged and dirty.

Posted by: Ed on September 9, 2009 12:27 PM

Agree 100%. I fly all over the world and all different carriers. I have just returned from a trip to the US and had the unfortunate experience of flying United.It is hard to describe just how bad both the flight from SYD-SFO and the return flight was. But lets just say one month ago I went to Paris on Malaysian and although a much longer flight I would do that again 50 times before I fly the pacific with United.From poor food to the insane of having one big TV screen in 2009 the United experience was a shocker! I fly back to the States in 3 weeks and thankfully this time I am on VAustralia! To be fair to United US, AA and South West are all just as bad but thankfully I have only done sub 10 hour flights on these carriers.

The one carrier who may be bucking the disgraceful US airline trend is Alaska Airlines. My flight from Seattle to SFO was a pleasure with a nice new plane and great cabin crew.

It amazes me that the "Leader of the free world" is so far behind when it comes to air transportation!

Posted by: Pete on September 9, 2009 12:28 PM

I've been living in the US for nearly 4 years now, and I agree.

Both United and AA planes are falling apart, their attendants are miserable, their food is revolting (and overpriced).

JetBlue and Southwest are great alternatives, although for Southwest you have to book on their website, and can't book via Orbitz, Travelocity etc. Sun Country is also good.

I haven't been on Virgin America but hopefully will soon.

I flew UNITED on the SYD-LAX route and their movie was on an overhead projector - in BUSINESS CLASS.

If you can, avoid LAX at all costs and fly via SFO instead. There are less flights but the airport is a million times better. There is even decent food!

As for my next LAX-SYD trip, it's QANTAS, and despite the bitching the Aussies do, I can't wait. I won't fly anybody else on this route. In seat entertainment, good food... it's all worthwhile, even with the smaller legroom and extra $1,000 cost.

Posted by: Miss Dynamite on September 9, 2009 12:30 PM

Travelled last year with my wife through the States. The intersting experience started with United changing our flights. We were due from NY to Chic direct but they changed us via Washington. We had this corrected and then all on a sudden we were "selected" for the specical searches by security. So much for "random selection". We also had an issue in that we had paid for our flights after the first bag charge but before the seconf bag charge. This meant that we had to line up in a special queue to be handled. Sometimes we were charged USD25 other times USD15.Evertime we had people telling not to line-up in the queue. Pity we were right and they were not.
The experience of flying to Chicago was great; Delayed boarding for 45mins, waited on the tarmac in NYK for another 45mins and sat in the "penalty box" in Chicago for 1 hour.
All this had the passengers climbing over seats trying to get closer to the door. Most were trying to catch other flights. Think they all missed them.
At least with AMTRAC I can get a drink and food when I want, but it's slow, very slow.

Posted by: JamoSA on September 9, 2009 12:32 PM

These comments are a bit unfair, the plane in the US is a bus in another country, generally its cheap to fly and easy to get around. No different to Ryanair, Easyjet or a plethora of other low cost airlines around Europe. Middle Eastern airlines are excellent but receive high government subsidies. The only problem really with US carriers is the on board service which is more of a union issue than anything else. Finally most economy seats around the world offer the same services, lets travel for the destination not for the airline seat!

Posted by: Nic on September 9, 2009 12:35 PM

The frightening thing about domestic flights in the US is the age of some of their planes. Some airlines there still fly 727s and it is quite nerve wracking getting on said planes that are so aged, the noses below the cockpits are stipped bare of any paint/livery. Most of their airports are nothing short of revolting in every aspect(LAX for eg) with just a handful of quite nice ones (Minneapolis for eg).

Posted by: Andrew on September 9, 2009 12:40 PM

I'm an Australian living in the US and if you think Virgin is the answer to your problems you are mistaken.

I flew my sister NY to Sydney on V Australia and Virgin America. The flight missed its connection in LA - being over four hours late. She had to wait 24hrs for the next flight from LA to Sydney. Did either Virgin Airline offer her a night in a hotel room - NO. A lounge pass - NO. V Australia blamed Virgin American and vice versa. This flight was booked on the one ticket but the airlines treat each other like competitors.

Virgin might be OK for short domestic trips but you're taking chances on long haul connecting flights. Stick with bigger airlines with more routes that they are accountable for. I wouldn't fly my worst enemy on V Australia to the US with a connecting flight elsewhere.

In the US Continental is usually pretty good. They still provide food, pillows and blankets and the lounges are well kept.

Posted by: M on September 9, 2009 12:42 PM

I am an Australian living in Atlanta and flying is always a dreadful experience. From the security lines where a batch of departures have caught them by surprise (same time every day) to every seat having a bum in it. And oversized hand luggage because a bunch of selfish jerks are dodging the fee and crew let them on.
But they aren't making money, and with a bum in every seat, I kinda figured out that maybe they aren't charging enough. This is a hard concept to grasp.

Posted by: Bob on September 9, 2009 12:44 PM

I'm flying to the states next week, and not with any US or Australian airline.....but with Air New Zealand. And internal flight from LA to Seattle with Virgin America....they both offer a much better product, and its only an hour layover in AKL.

Posted by: Oracle on September 9, 2009 12:47 PM

Fly with United Airline transfer at SFO airport is a nightmare.
I am working with travel industry about 6 years and i always told my clients UA is a 5 star airline.
But when i experience this year at SFO airport with and i just felt so dispointed. I had only 40 mins at SFO Airport to tranfer my flight to NYC, i went to the check-in counter and the staff told me go to another counter. i went to the counter they told me, and the person at checking counter told me that he cannt do the check-in counter for me i have to go back to the counter no 2, the previous counter i had been. i went back to the counet no 2, no one at that counter anymore, and i wait for 5 minutes another differnt sernior staff came, and he told me i dont need check-in at all, just go throught to the secure. i went to the line, and the lady told my it is too later my flight had left.
i just felt so depsrately stuck at aiport and no one told me what should i do. there is one guy wearing the uniform told me that i can go to customer servicve. it is horrible experience to wait in that line,i did waited standing at the that lind for 3 hours and then they told me that i can neither waiting list fot the flight in next 2 hoours or next day morning flight, but UA wouldnt give any accomodation for thie overnight stay. i said i want to standby for the next flight, and i just sit and wait for another 2 hoours, and wait at the gate, the airlines staff staring call all the standby passenger. comes to me, it is all fully board, and i have to go back to that horrible cusomer servie desk again to ask them to help to book for my next flight and i waited another 2 hours again to get the midnight flight..i was trying to call UA hotline at airpot to ask for help and complain and it went to the macheine and ask me to wivis the UA website. all of this i had been stuck at ariport for more than 10 hours and no where and no one else to go for help. It is just a damn nightmare!!! and that really make me miss fly with Singapore Airlines and othe Asian airlines. They do realy care their passengers!

Posted by: Julia on September 9, 2009 12:48 PM

Have done several domestic US flights - apart form the check in hassles - the biggest hassle was the amount and type of baggage that people carried on! Wow - you should have seen what they carried on to avoid having to pay baggage check fees . . . I even saw a pram and a 50kg backpack that looked like it had just come back from a month in Tibet.

In the meantime I had to sit hunched up because my day pack would not fit in the overhead locker... ALL were full before I even got on board. Chicago to LA is a long way in the foetal position.
I would have thought this is a safety issue in itself.

Posted by: Em19 on September 9, 2009 12:56 PM

Remember that its a bus service with wings.
Have to agree with the comments that Qantas actually compares rather favourable ( or often better than)with other carriers. We flew Qantas to the states in April and AA/ United across the US several times on this trip. Flying in the states should really be considered as a bus service and travellers need to reset expectations accordingly. Our experience with AA ground staff was that while they seemed dissinterested most of the time, they did what the had to do - service with a smile was certainly few and far between but then again I dont have to deal with hundreds of tired customers on a daily basis so we should be a little understanding.

Posted by: John Weir on September 9, 2009 12:58 PM

@Johnm, comment number 4: The US airline industry was deregulated in 1978 by act of Congress, signed by President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat. Don't blame Reagan. Since then, airline fares have gone down in absolute terms, to say nothing of inflation-adjusted terms, and passenger-miles traveled in the US have tripled, as more people are able to travel. Deregulation was a good thing.

Posted by: D T Nelson on September 9, 2009 1:01 PM

It will be like this in Australia in a few years.

The US is the land of the free and the free market. People want cheap air fares so airlines cut costs wherever they can - bang goes service and clean airports. The cut back on staff numbers and staffing costs, so bang goes service. Free airline meals went a long time ago, and before they went airlines had cut the amount they spent on airline food so much that airline food was a good source of jokes by commedians. Airlines try to make money so they throw in extra service charges where they can - like for changing a typ on your ticket.

The upside is that flying in the US has become relatively cheap with frequent flights between all the main centres. This quickly becomes a downside when it means the airports are more crowded than ever.

The result of cutting back on customer service and more crowded airports led to the phenomia of "air rage."

This phenomia is not limited to the US, in Europe Ryanair has become a byword for extremly bad service and cheap flights.

With airlines like Jetstar operating in Aus it is only a matter of time before Australia follows.

Heck even Air New Zeland has found ways to make its sevrice even worse. They rpomised they wouldn't go back to being a cheese an biscuit airline when they remodelled themselves afew years ago, and kept that promise by cutting out in flight meals almsot entirley.

Posted by: Ian on September 9, 2009 1:02 PM

We do tend to complain about Qantas but compared to the American carriers we are so ahead.

I recall flying AA about 18 years ago and we had the same meal on pretty much every flight..it was a lasagna of some sort and we took many flights over 6 weeks. You had to laugh!

US Air was very good prior to them being bought out, I recall getting woken up at a God forsaken hour just before arriving into Kansas city on one stop red eye transcontinetal service and offered a wonderful club sandwich and drinks.

I recall taking another flight from SF to Toronto Via Chicago it was a red-eye, ok fair enough you would not expect anything on the first leg, however you would expect at least breakfast when compared to a 1 hour Sydney Melbourne flight, I was offered just a coffee.

I am off on a round the world and the end of this month using my Qantas points, I am looking forward to going Business Class, my instructions to the agent when booking is keep me off American Airlines at all cost, I have managed to fly LAN from New York to Toronto however am stuck flying AA from Toronto to LA. I am also flying Southwest from LA to SF as they do not charge for bags, as all the airlines including Virgin America quote the same price $49 however they all charge $15 for first bag and $20 for second bag which is ridiculous. Considering I will be doing a fair bit of shopping with the dollar going up!

Posted by: Michael on September 9, 2009 1:10 PM

I've made many flights with American airlines over the past few years, almost every one a complete disaster. At least they're consistent, but I wouldn't make a long hail flight with one of them again even if they paid for the ticket.

Posted by: Richard on September 9, 2009 1:11 PM

Could part of the problem be that the airlines are not making any money (been on a newish plane with Delta or AA lately). America might be the land of free enterprise, but unless there is profit there is no capital expenditure.

Posted by: Stephen on September 9, 2009 1:13 PM

Completely agree.

Recently came back from 5 and a half weeks travel and found them to be the most unreliable airlines I have ever flown. Apparently, it's perfectly "normal" to overbook their flights. They overbooked our flight from Hawaii by about 5 people. When no-one volunteered to be put up in a hotel for one night, people had to be nominated. In another incident, upon discovering an aerosol can in our baggage, we were told that we would not be allowed to fly with it as it is "extremely flammable". Right next to the person was a sign stating that up to 70 ounces of flammable materials is allowed, however they wouldn't budge. So much for deodorant in Las Vegas and 45 degree heat. :)

Then there's the attitude of the flight attendants, simply asking whether a beverage was complimentary or had to be paid for brought the biggest of scowls. Hated every single flight in the US. I'm glad to hear about Virgin America though, I will have to try them if I ever decide to venture back there.

Posted by: Ben on September 9, 2009 1:14 PM

Ben, I'm exhausted just reading that! :-)

Heading off to the US next year so will keep all of that in mind. Although with family/friends on both coasts hopefully we can get some inside help!

Posted by: Megs on September 9, 2009 1:21 PM

And you folks are the lucky ones...nobody yet mentioned the regular mass kidnappings called flight delays that continue even today. Bad weather? The airline simply imprisons its passengers for hours on the runway until they riot. It costs big money, you see, to cancel the flight and refund the tickets. Why do Americans tolerate such things? They don't. The airline lobbyists control Congress and have steadfastly blocked every attempt at the Flyer's Bill of Rights for a decade. The American who made the comment earlier about deregulation in the 1980's is largely correct. Pushed by the lobbyists, not the people. Turned the airlines into mass transit. That's why the person sitting next to you has greasy hair and smells bad. No different than the city bus.

The airlines push as many people through the system as possible, but the airports are typically owned by the cities that they serve. They generate tax revenue based on passengers. The incentives are not directly in place to expand and improve the airports immediately based on passenger crowding. The other issue is that many of the worst airports in the US; LAX and JFK in particular - long ago ran out of land area. They can't relieve the crowding because they have no ability to expand. Today's LAX is two airports built on top of each other. I remember when it used to be one story. And they're still out of room. The US is in denial about its population growth.

Stay away from United, y'all. There's a reason they went broke. I agree with the commenter that bankrupt airlines should be cleared from the market and not continue their zombie existence - with the same management and employees in place.

Posted by: Jeff in Baltimore on September 9, 2009 1:22 PM

We flew United earlier in the year - one internal and LAX to Sydney. Shocking experience for all the reasons already stated. On the internal flight the flight attendants walked down the aisle to do their checks prior to take off whilst munching on cookies. One of them was so ugly we decided that they could only let her fly on night flights when it would be dark and she couldn't scare the passengers!

Posted by: Sarah on September 9, 2009 1:23 PM

I have flown United and American in the US. Both are joke airlines. The United staff made unfunny announcements about the pilot landing the plane if he could find the airport. And the American staff were at best indifferent, but more accurately had a couldn't care less attitude. But it's not limited to their airlines. Upon checking into Jetstar starclass in hawaii recently, after having reserved 2 specific seats in advance, we were told those seats were not available, and they seated us elsewhere, adn not next to one another. When we asked for a manger to fix the problem, she was of no assistance nor cared less. They were local US staff. When we got into the Qantas lounge, we complained to the local staff who assured us they would try to fix the problem, but did nothing. Well, nothing like self help. We asked to call Hawaiian Airlines, enquired as to whether they had any first class seats to Sydney on the next flight (they did). We then told the Qantas lounge staff that we were going to cancel our tickets on Jetstar, and take Hawaiian home. This was after our baggage was loaded. The Qantas staff from the US got onto the phone straight away and the problem was fixed.
Also LAX is a big dirty and unfriendly disaster. And try finding the entrance to Seattle airport if you are driving?

Posted by: Paul on September 9, 2009 1:32 PM

I fly frequently within the States and could not agree more about the poor standards on the ground and in the air. But many flights do suprise with excellent service if not product.
The warmth and kindness of most flights served by crews from the deep south always stand out to me. And as previously stated Jet Blue, Virgin America and Southwest are superb. One of the countries where budget carriers consistently outshine the traditional full fare airlines.

Posted by: adrian leben on September 9, 2009 1:32 PM

I refuse to fly US airlines, unless I have no choice at. The service on board must be rudest and meanest in the world. And then I will look for Virgin in the US or Jet Blue.

I would rather fly a cheap chinese airline than an american airline. At least the food is edible, the staff try to be pleasant in english (though sometimes they struggle). you get food on domestic services. I could go on.

Airport Staff again, rude, rude rude, even at the fourth time they have tipped out your entire bag and expect you to pack it and be on the plane in 5 minutes, while they took their time to tipping everything out and going through it.

And as someone pointed out, if there is even a small spelling mistake made by them - then they refuse to let you travel.

Food - Tasteless, bland, unhealthy, boring.

If Airlines in the US disappeared, then the world would be a much better place.

Posted by: ross on September 9, 2009 1:42 PM

Australia is get wrose that's for sure. Airline like Tiger Airway should never be allowed to operate in this country.
The can cancel flights without giving reason and their so called call center do not even answer the phone.

Posted by: Jack on September 9, 2009 1:45 PM

American Airlines are bad for sure - I agree with everyone. The funny thing is - the Americans themselves do not see it that way. A vast majority of them never fly anywhere else, therefore do not have any idea what a "good" airline is! Unfortunately in a consumer driven economy, people still pay and use the bad airlines which keeps them in business! As a consumer - we need to vote with our $ and take the airlines that might cost more, but you get what you pay for!

Posted by: Nick Moffatt on September 9, 2009 1:50 PM

That's why I only fly Qantas and always will. You only realise how first class Qantas really is when you have used any other airline especially to, from and within the US (with the only exception of Emirates I must admit)

Posted by: Eddie on September 9, 2009 1:50 PM

I flew JetBlue last year from New York to Charlotte NC and they were quite good. There was TV and we had a great selection of snacks and not just your bog standard chips.

Posted by: Bianca on September 9, 2009 1:53 PM

The airline in-flight services in the US are often inadequate. One of the reasons for this is that perhaps an average American flies much more frequently compared to an individual in other nations. As a result, for most Americans it is only going from point A to B quickly, safely, and inexpensively without little or no romantic notion about flying. So neither a passenger or the airlines unfortunately care much about in-flight services anymore. I have met people in Australia and in Asia(quite frequently) who were dressed up just for the flight! Perhaps this difference in outlook and expectation about flying contributes to the negative remarks that I have seen in other comments. I wonder how people would comment if we were discussing amenities and service in bus travel!

Posted by: marif on September 9, 2009 2:00 PM

I think one needs to address the root of the problem. American airlines (most) are flat broke and have no money to improve their fleet quality. Also, because of this, their employees get the shaft continually and end up getting fed up. You can't run ANY company like that and expect to get return business. Start looking after your employees and, eventually, customers will return and the funds generated can be spent on the fleet infrastructure. Finally, making comparisons between U.S. airlines and middle eastern airlines is apples and oranges.

Posted by: Peter on September 9, 2009 2:04 PM

I know that it is typical of us Australians to whinge and always have a go at our local airline, but still it doesn't make sense. I've flown a LOT and I can honestly say Qantas are pretty bloody fantastic (for an airline). Sure there are times when I have been pretty pissed off with them, however if you fly enough with any airline enough there will be times that they stuff you around (often royaly). At the same time these things aren't static and although I believe that Qantas currently compare very favourably with other airlines there are still some areas that they could improve in. Fortunately I haven't yet had the joy of flying any American airline, though based on the comments in this blog I'm in no rush to either.

Posted by: RD on September 9, 2009 2:04 PM

If you are a completely objective blogger about US air travel then you would have mentioned that Virgin exists in that country. Having just come back from the states, i can assure you that Virgin America is the pinnacle of flying the US. TV's and wireless internet.... what more could you want?

I've never made that claim. - Ben
______________________________
Virgin is a british company...Bens point exactly!

Posted by: Olya on September 9, 2009 2:07 PM

I just recently returned from a trip to New York where I flew on the new Delta service from Sydney to LA. I highly recommend it in every way. The return flight was incredibly cheap ($900 including taxes), TV screens on every seat back with a fantastic selection of movies on demand to choose from, friendly, helpful flight attendants and edible food. The 13 hours just flew by!

Posted by: Kate on September 9, 2009 2:14 PM

I have lived in the for 5 of the last 10 years. When there I flew pretty much every week. US airlines are the absolute worst and I particularly dislike American Airlines! Old planes, bad service, inflexible and outrageous prices. AA is the obvious preferred US carrier for us Aussie expats given the One World tie in with Qantas (also on my hate list). Reliability has gotten so bad there recently that it is almost necessary to leave the day before to make sure you make a meeting or an international connection. One trip last year from Dallas back to Sydney I got to the airport at 3pm to catch my booked 5pm flight only to give up and go home as AA could not get me LA to catch the midnight flight back to Sydney and it wasn't winter. Don't get me started on US airlines in winter. You'd think that after so many years there would be a strategy for dealing with snow. Apparently not, as every year it seems to be a surprise.

Posted by: Peter on September 9, 2009 2:20 PM

We flew around the world a few years back on Qantas, and Qantas code share airlines. Between LA and London, we got stuck on AA - and I must admit, to this day, having travelled extensively throughout the world, it still rates as the WORST airline I have ever travelled. Okay, they fed us, which was a bonus but we had to pay for all drinks, even a soft drink. I know we are living in a politically correct age but there is an obvious reason air hosties were regular sized. Our hostie on AA was so big she had to turn sideways to fit down the aisle and I hate to say it, her bum knocked quite a few of those expensively paid for drinks over. And when I asked for water, because my throat was so dry I could barely speak anymore, I was told angrily to wait. And wait I did. For five hours! Oh, I kept asking and asking until she eventually thrust a cup of water in my hand, gave me a filthy look and continued on her way knocking drinks over down the aisle. Yes, the experience could have been a one off, but it was enough to turn me off ever flying AA again. Qantas was a dream in comparison to some of its codeshare partners.

Posted by: Rebecca on September 9, 2009 2:20 PM

Agreed all the way
American Airlines is the worst of a terrible bunch

Posted by: JohnC on September 9, 2009 2:28 PM

I get that the US airline industry is largely broke (what is it, Chapter 11 Bankruptcy).

I get that you don't get food.

I get that you don't necessarily get entertainment on long flights.

What I don't get is why not try and make money off these things.

Like selling food, movie's etc.

The last time I went to the States (2006), I did a large number of flights internally, and in and out of Mexico and Canada.

The longest flight was with Cathay (Vancouver to New York so no dramas there except it was bursting to the seams). But I had three other five hour flights. Only on one did they have food and "entertainment". Yes you had to buy food, but the only choice was some crazy thing with nuts / jerky / etc, which they sold out of less than half way down the plane. Why not be like other low cost airlines and try and use that as revenue. The hosties aren't doing much else (it was free drinks though. Bargain).

Similarly, to get the entertainment, you had to buy headphones (can't remember if they were a proprietary fitting). The entrainment was just ads for the CBS network. No actual programs.

Then on top of this, the planes are all so old and crappy. The only other time I have flown in planes like that was with Incan Airlines...

Posted by: Mark on September 9, 2009 2:29 PM

The cattle class service may reflect the decades long trend of wealth transfer from the middle class to the richest 10%. White collar wage slaves working 60hr+ weeks, including 2 flights a day air travel, desperate to keep a job which saves them from the 3rd world poverty level and brutal police have to do it.

Posted by: Anon mouse on September 9, 2009 2:34 PM

Had a very helpful sky-cap when flying MSY-LAX, the checkin was quiet and orderly, and the boarding anouncements had a touch of humor, as did the pre-flight safety check. Flight attendants were courteous and friendly. I never assume there'll be free food, tv, dancing girls yadda yada, I'm on a plane to get from A to B. Possibly via D and P as well, but hey, as long as I get there. The airline was Delta, cannot recommend them highly enough.
I don't agree with Nick Moffat at 1.50pm..many Americans I speak with are extremely critical of their airlines, including those who haven't been out of the U.S.

But hey, if you really think it's that awful (not you Nick, just generally), I hear the ocean is lovely this time of year. :-)
PS: If you have the time, we had a great trip on Amtrak!

Posted by: jacq on September 9, 2009 2:38 PM

Being a Canadian living in OZ, I've been back and forth a few times and basically would avoid United at all costs.
Solutions?
Qantas is good (but expensive and connects with AA in America)
Hawaiian if you're flying out of Sydney is great. You connect in Honolulu and then on to the rest of the US, breaks up the trip nicely as well.
Air Canada is booooring but far superior to any other US carrier and go most places in the US. You connect through Vancouver which is much better than LAX or SFO.
But hands down the way to go is V Australia. The best service, best planes, everything is painless. Given the choice I would never fly another airline across the Pacific! Go Ricahrd Branson!!!

Posted by: Ryan on September 9, 2009 2:43 PM

I just got back from a two week multiple destination trip around the US. On the domestic connection from San Fran to LA I accidently left my passport in the plane pocket. Realised this at baggage claim. Went to United straight away and they said the said their staff had no time to answer the phone at the gate. Ran up. Ran back down - had big bag with me. Left bag, ran back. No one at gate. Plane there. Got someone. They asked someone else to check pocket. Call comes - no passport. Lost for words. Lodged a lost property report. Called and left messages 10 times as no one ever answered the number. Went to see them. They said they couldn't afford to have someone answering the phones all day and that it was my fault for losing the passport in the first place - BTW I was not rude to this person. Left for trip. Called multiple times and left messages. Consulate got involved. Passport found and at UA. Consulate asked me to get UA to send it to me in other US city. Could not get through after again multiple calls. Friend who is Platinum US member had no success. Luckily leaving through UA in LA. Picked it up two weeks later. All in all I had my luggage lost once, a bottle of sake broken inside it and my clothes stinking during a meeting, and about four times my planes were delayed from one to three hours. Did I mention the awful conditions and the rude staff - maybe next time!

Posted by: Al on September 9, 2009 2:49 PM

Oh good grief; avoid American airlines at all cost. One national travel agents chain recently advertised fares to NY from Perth for only $1200 - which is an absolute bargain. When I found out who it would be on - American Airlines - I passed. No way, Jose!

I flew American on a both a domestic flight from LAX to DFW and I thought I was lucky to get there alive! I had never, ever seen such an old plane before; the seats were closed in bucket ones, with the armrest not able to be lifted up - lord help you if you were even just overweight, let alone obese. I'm fairly slender and it was a challenge to be comfortable in that seat. I then took an international one down to SJO in Costa Rica, and I don't remember any problems, but didn't get any food, which I'd come to expect. But their hosties are all old and crabby.

BTW, American airports are the worst airports in the world - especially JFK and LAX. The latter is a real hole. The one exception to that statement: Dallas Fort Worth (DFW). Nice, new, modern, clean - they have a wonderful food court in the international departures and have a groovy, efficient monorail system between domestic and international terminals. All other American airports - and some Australian ones I can think of (Perth, anyone?) - should use that as a model starting point.

Posted by: EmpressJo on September 9, 2009 3:08 PM

We flew to the US this year on United. Have to agree with Bob about the selfish passengers with oversized handluggage allowed on the plane. Food was really average, service was rude and abysmal. My husband made the comment that United was where old hosties went to retire...umah...

Posted by: Venus on September 9, 2009 3:11 PM

While I agree that the majority of US airlines are horrible, and getting worse, there are some good US airlines.

I fly yearly to Sydney from Honolulu, normally on Hawaiian, although I have flown Qantas and Air Pacific in the past.

10 years ago Qantas was the best, no question. Now, their attitude towards carry-on has lost me as a customer.

Hawaiian is cheaper, offers better quality meals, and has much better carry-on luggage allowances than Qantas (14kg, versus 7kg for Qantas). I'm a pro photographer, I can't check my equipment, and every kilo I lose in carry-on hurts.

Posted by: Robert on September 9, 2009 3:15 PM

I traveled through the US with my family a year or so ago, yep, US airlines be cautioned, a few travel trips.

Flying to the US – always fly Quantas/BA/Emeriates/Singapore/Cathay, etc, never on a US airline. The international planes are below standard – no TV’s, etc.

Flying within the US. Book tickets through one of the discount sites, much easier and faster.

Leave plenty of time to get though check in, security, walking time. Chicago is huge an it takes about 30 minutes to walk (briskly) from one terminal to the other.

You have to pay for a headset, take your own (I-Pod, or equal will work)

Take your own food – the locals all do, don’t buy it from the airport, it is crap and generally Starbucks

Be warned, despite all the security stuff, a plane can leave without you if your baggage is on board – yes, really!!!, spent 7 hours at Chicago thanks to that misconception.

Planes tend to leave + or – 10 minutes, if every body is on with the exception of a couple or people, the plane will go, make sure you are at the gate with 20 minutes to spare. Refer point above, was at the gate with 5 minutes to go – too late, doors shut.

All good fun, will be back early next year.

Posted by: Hyphen on September 9, 2009 3:16 PM

Highlight flying in the US, and a nice summary of the lengths they go to looking after their customers - being handed a packet of carrots(!!) on an overnighter from LAX to DFW. No other food offered. At least the air marshal (uncomfortable being the only other passenger) got the same treatment.

Posted by: Bruce on September 9, 2009 3:25 PM

I think perhaps the reporters comments are a tad harsh. We have flown over to Las Vegas 5 times in the last 2 years, and we go with Qantas to LA, then Southwest to Vegas. We've never had any issues at all. Southwest is such good value for money, the planes are clean and tidy, and you get a drink and some nuts which is perfectly fine for the 1 hour flight. There is no inflight entertainment but I would gladly give that a miss for a 1 hour flight. I actually enjoy looking out the window at new scenery! Southwest don't charge for 2 bags per person which is fabulous, and I can use an Aussie visa card to book and pay. Easy.

Posted by: Jason on September 9, 2009 3:26 PM

Completely agree. When I tell my friends who have not been to the US how bad the airlines are there, I am sure they think I am exagerating.

Too many stories to tell here, but one of my biggest complaints is the lack of uniformity in process between the airports. There are 50 states, which seems to mean at least 50 different ways of processing the boarding of a plane. And if you do not know the process for that airport in advance, watch out!

Posted by: Damien on September 9, 2009 3:37 PM

I fly a lot in the US; I usually do 100K miles per year. I fly for work, not for pleasure, and I fly economy. 100K is a lot of miles in economy, let me tell you.

Ben, you may be right as far as leisure goes (I wouldn't know), but if you're like me and you just want to get from A to B reliably, efficiently and quickly, you're way off the mark.

I confess that I cringe every time I return to Australia. I despair every time I fly Qantas. Yes, the food is better, but could care less. What I care about is that my flight arrives on time, that my luggage is not lost and that the customer service people are polite and efficient. Qantas is reliably unreliable (on my regular SYD-CBR route), they are inconsistent and obnoxious regarding cabin baggage (I generally don't have checked luggage), and far too many of their ground staff are obnoxious/aloof/uninterested to an extent that is almost comic.

My experience with United is near flawless on these measures. Furthermore, for the same price (often better) I get to fly Economy Plus which gives me more leg room than in Qantas economy, I am upgraded to business routinely, and the miles I earn are actually useful and usable.

Other airlines such as Virgin America and Jet Blue are great, but unfortunately don't have the connectivity I need.

Up until now I've not really flown Virgin in Australia much because they don't offer good connections to my international flights. However, when I have flown with them they've been great. I'd be happy to give V Australia a spin but they don't yet have a good story regarding US connectivity.

Posted by: Steve on September 9, 2009 3:38 PM

Foreign credit checks not okay?

I booked and paid for several train journeys with Amtrak before I left Australia a few years ago. No problems. I was even surprised when I could identify myself at the self-serve machine in Penn. Station New York with my Australian-issued credit card and got all my tickets printed with no problems.

Posted by: Wade on September 9, 2009 3:39 PM

Re: Ian's comment @ 1.02 pm today on Air NZ suposedly cutting out inflight meals entirely. Assume you are talking about NZ domestic flghts which are 90% under 1 hour(longest, still under 2 hours flying time, AKL - Q'Town or Dunedin) Otherwise your comment is factually incorrect.Mornings on domestic 737 jet services, complimentary continental breakfast is served and in the evenings its complimentary beer /wine with nibbles. Outside these hours just snacks and tea/coffee, granted. Longhaul you'll note that Condé Nast readers have just voted it number 2 best airline for long haul travel not bad for a v small airline at bottom of world. Also note that Condé Nast readers downgraded SQ from number 1 to 6th position this year(Do not be mistaken; not all SQs planes are new + wow either. And they've evidently been cost cutting like everyone else) Magnum ice creams served for dessert in business class on 10 hour flight from Jo'Burg to Singapore doesn't cut the mustard - and now, no salad in J Class either. Excuse me! This misery for a $10K business class fare is an effrontery..Also try flying SQ's long in the tooth 777-200s regionally to Dubai or India to see what I mean. Pretty threadbare experience c.f. their much vaunted A380 or 777-300ER of which they have only a few to date. Pains me to criticise SQ as I've previously enjoyed them but they are not immune to what's happening. Ditto, Malaysia, Emirates. Getting back to US airlines, perhaps the solution is not to allow Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection so these legacy US carriers get euthanased once and for all. Then allow selected foreign carriers to invest/ operate withn US. When all said and done, you get what you pay for. With flights from Oz to USA are now only around the AUD $800-$900 return, you should expect major cost-cutting to inflight service from all airlines. Kinda galling that when I pick up an Air NZ/ QF flight from Auckland to LAX/ SFO (vs departing from Aust) I've essentially subsidised bleating Australian/ US passengers who've paid in many cases much less than I for the same seat. If you're not willing to slap down the bucks to fly, you can't really afford to trave - and you certainly have no right to expect champagne service. This isnn't the era of ladies flying bedecked with pearls. Or men, in three-piece suits. Stick to old black and white movies if you want romance in travel.

Posted by: Anthony Gibbons on September 9, 2009 3:44 PM

I've never had any problems visiting the US or paying with an Aussie credit card for United. Ever. VERY EASY. i recently had to book a flight on Delta from Sydney to LA, got the date wrong, called them up, they were quite willing to change the date without payment. Very easy.

I've gone to the US many times; not a single problem. sure the security checks are a little offputting but nothing to get worked up over. So you don't get a meal; big deal.

I have flown United a few times; never a problem (I don't like their seats but that's another issue). I have flown Alaska Airlines without a problem. All on time, no hassles. Luggage arrived as it should..everything very smooth. Not once but ten times.

Posted by: Flossy on September 9, 2009 3:50 PM

I am Australian and work in the States half the time. Simple: (1) fly Qantas or Virgin to the US and then grin and bear the US airlines. (2) Bring your own food and drink aboard (buy from the airport lounge if you have to) as the airlines don't mind and some actually encourage it, and bring a dvd player along. (3) If you can, fly Southwest, Jetblue or Continental. (4) Remember that there is no service like Asian service so don't expect it. Americans don't know what service is.

Overall, flying in America is pretty cheap and just remind yourself you are just trying to get from A to B.

Posted by: sarah on September 9, 2009 4:00 PM

Have to agree, recently flew return from Sydney to LA with United. Tiny seats, no seat back screens so had to constantly crane my neck over people and other seats to get a restricted view of the no choice movies. Food was average, alcoholic beverages were $7US and the some of the attendants were rude. They seemed more interested in sitting behind a closed curtin in the galley area chatting then actually attending. I only took them as they were the only Star Alliance member flying direct. Next time would forego the points and take Qantas or Virgin.

Posted by: Craig on September 9, 2009 4:00 PM

had to get to memphis for a function, pre-paid, however, south east airlines advised that a much smaller plane was being used for the route, & we had to spend the night in Phoenix, temperature 106F. missed our function in Memphis @ were given a negative report to immigration after we complained about being dumped in Phoenix and were given the full treatment, stripped, full patdow, full search of luggage & ended up missing our flight. never again!!!!tried to claim on travel insurance for the cost of the memphis function, refused because insurance does not cover airline problems.

Posted by: russ on September 9, 2009 4:15 PM

I flew with United Airlines from Sydney to New York with a stopover in LA. The staff weren't overly friendly but at least they let me into the toilet when my nose started bleeding and "Seatbelt on" was on.

I got to LA and due to my jet lag and/or foolishness managed to miss my connecting flight to NY. The lady at the UA service desk was wonderful and quickly found seats on the next flight.

I also flew South West and I didn't have an issue with them either.

I guess everyone has good and bad stories about airlines.

Posted by: Mickey on September 9, 2009 4:36 PM

Great story Ben - your writing style is excellent. You forgot to mention how old the planes are - some are older that you I suspect. I often had fun reading the compliance plate when I boarded to see if I could remember what I was doing in 1976 when the American Airlines MD80 was built!!! Avoid them all like the plague except Jet Blue and Virgin. Of course avoid LAX also - they are so rude and extremely disorganised.

Posted by: Tony on September 9, 2009 4:38 PM

Flew United once from LHR to JFK and was asked by the (ageing) cabin attendant if I wouldn't mind moving seats so a family could travel together. No problem I said as it didn't make a great deal of difference to me (packed flight in coach.....) and was given a bottle of champagne and a smile for my troubles...

Conversley flew Qantas LHR - SYD one time on an old rattly (literally) piece of junk with surly cabin crew snarling at me when I asked for a beer (first one) and given an even bigger snarl when I called the attendent back to inform him that the beer was three months out of date..

I have done a couple of united domestic legs also and found them to be OK, not good or great but OK.
This was in 2001 so not sure if it was better then.

Funny how people have different experiences.

Posted by: James P on September 9, 2009 4:53 PM

As this thread has identified, Virgin America is the standard now and I would agree it puts even Australian airlines to shame.

Having said that, we get what we pay for. Hasn't anyone considered that a $39 seat from Sydney to Melbourne less tax and fees equals about $20 revenue for the low cost airline or $13 an hour of flight. That's why they charge you for the drink and the entertainment..

Even worse, a $900 return ticket to Los Angeles less taxes equals $300 to the airline each way, or $20 revenue to the business per hour of flying, to which they have to pay for your meals, entertainment, maintenance, leases, wages and the rest.

If we want high service and safe airlines, we need to recognise that these cost money. They've done all they can to cut back on service, so guess what comes next??

$39 sydney to melbourne airfares aren't conducive with safety and service in the long term.

Posted by: max on September 9, 2009 5:00 PM

I have to agree with everything you've said in this article. You've also left quite a bit out - like LAX, the airport from hell. Last time we flew out to Brisbane it took us three hours to clear check-in. We had to queue for a boarding pass, queue to have our checked luggage scanned somewhere else, then queue at another location to have our hand luggage and personal security check.

Once you're on the plane, you almost never see a flight attendant. I'm not sure what they do during the flight, but it's certainly not attending to passengers. I wish I could Virgin, but I don't think they fly to smaller regional airports.

We also found that they don't do seatbelts for children on laps as someone else commented. The only good thing about flying in the US is that you can check your pram at the plane gate and have it waiting for you at the gate when you step off the plane.

Posted by: Sue on September 9, 2009 5:02 PM

Flew with my family (wife and three kids) to the US in June on Qantas - first time on the 'roo, having always flown United because, well, I don't know why. Patriotism, perhaps.
Never again will I fly UAL across the pond - Qantas leaves United for dead in terms of comfort, amenity and staff demeanor. Seatback screens, “wings” on the headrests, clean and not tatty looking.
On our return leg, despite my attempts to confirm our presumably confirmed United flights, and arriving at the airport an hour early, we were stuffed around at the desk trying to get our boarding passes. Apparently UAL’s computer systems couldn’t find my son’s ticket in the system. After finally obtaining our boarding passes and walking the approximately 50 meters to the gate (passing through security), we were denied boarding because the flight was overbooked. For United: how can you issue boarding passes and then fifty meters away at the gate say that no seats are available?
Well, back out through security and back out to the front desk to see about getting on another flight. Turns out that UAL was booked out to the extent that had we relied on them we would have missed our Qantas connection to Sydney three days hence. No more flights were available that day. For United: An airbus A320 is larger and has more seats than a CRJ. You should use that aircraft instead. Duh.
United’s solution was for us to buy tickets on Jet Blue (the only airline with seats available) to JFK and they’d put us up in a hotel. Then the five of us could try to get on one of their aircraft the next morning as a standby passenger. We’d lose at least an entire day and a day of our prepaid accommodation and miss a day of Disneyland. For United: People book flights because they want to get somewhere specific at a specific time. They generally have people and places to see at their destination.
Our own solution was to buy five full-fare tickets on Jet Blue on the spot from Vermont to LAX. We finally got there, but nine hours after our scheduled arrival and at the additional cost of $3,000. We now have lodged a request for a refund from UAL because while we paid for the service, they didn't provide it. For United: process my refund request.

Posted by: Derek on September 9, 2009 5:15 PM

Too much of a generalisation to say all US airlines are bad. Yes, some are pretty ordinary. But some, like JetBlue, are terrific and leave the likes of Virgin Blue and Qantas for dead. I flew them frequently between the east and west coasts. On time, every time. Great staff and easy to deal with. Would recommend them highly to anyone visiting the US. Plus, they use airports like Oakland (near San Fran) and Long Beach (near LA) which are much better to travel through.

Posted by: Matt on September 9, 2009 5:23 PM

I flew the inaugural flight of Delta from Sydney-LA-New York.
The food was atrocious and the staff was not helpful at all. My experience with American airlines is not any better than the ones quoted. I wilol never fly them again. There are much better alternatives.

Posted by: Rudy on September 9, 2009 5:26 PM

I once had a first class flight on AA from San Antonio to Cancun (via Dallas i think).. it was remarkable because for a 7am breakfast flight in first class we were served a small packet of blueberry granola. i asked if there was a bowl and a spoon coming to be told.. no dear.. you just eat it out of the packet.. 3 hours later on the flight to Cancun they did serve breakfast - great ceremony was made of a fruit platter and cold meats which due to turbulence, ended up in a lap.

If i have my preference, it's Air New Zealand for everywhere they fly - unfortunately it's not enough places, and the trip through Auckland is a pain.

by far the worst trip ever was on BA (i used to think BA was a great airline, but had only ever travelled Business) - a flight from San Francisco to London nearly killed me. I was wedged against the window by 2 human mountains who were flowing under the armrests.. halfway through the flight they started calling for ice and the hostesses obliged by packing ice around them (which was melting and dripping all over me).. food service consisted of a small box with an apple and a muffin that was lobbed over their mass about 7 hours into a 10 hour flight.. that flight cured me of both BA and economy!

Posted by: Bron on September 9, 2009 5:32 PM

The people with no problems using an Australian credit card to book with United were not paying attention to the initial blog.

The issue is trying to book a domestic flight once you are already in the USA and using the US website. You can't. They won't take your dirty foreign credit card even though Visa claims to be world wide. You have to go back to the United website in Australia and start again. Grrrrr !

It happened to me 3 years ago.

Posted by: mark on September 9, 2009 5:35 PM

how about United Airlines ?
I am going to USA by UA .

Posted by: nelson on September 9, 2009 6:08 PM

Flew Delta last year we got to the gate and then the staff realised they had the wrong plane at the gate. Anyone with a seat for row 6 wasn't getting to LA that day. When we did get to LA the attendants stayed seated instead of farewelling us of the plane.

Posted by: Brendon on September 9, 2009 6:30 PM

I try to avoid the US at all costs due to their airlines and the airports. It is like being tortured for a day. Staff are rude, airports are old, lines are long, planes are delayed, they make you pay for a drink on board, I can't be stuffed.

Posted by: alx on September 9, 2009 6:54 PM

I recently flew American Airlines business class after missing my BA flight to London. I think my status may have had somethign to do with their willingness to transfer me to another flight (it was an award ticket so in theory after missing my flight I should have forfeited my ticket)

I must say, it was a complete surprise. The food was great, the wines terrific and free flowing, and the service was amazing. Yes, okay it was business class - but it far exceeded my expectations. The bad? The bed was awful, and the entertainment unit was some clunky looking portable thing that had to be installed (I didn't try it).

Okay, given the choice between BA and American, it's BA every time. But honestly, AA Business wasn't that bad.

Posted by: Tim on September 9, 2009 7:11 PM

Americans offer great service (restaurants, hotels etc) when they are working for tips. The country revolves around the almighty dollar and customer service employees are a classic example of this. Try getting a drink in a bar if you don't tip on your first round...you'll be ignored for the rest of the night.

The Flight Attendants on US airlines must be some of the few service related employees in that country who don't regularly receive tips.

Maybe a few dollar bills stuffed in their top pocket when you board the aircraft could solve everything!

Posted by: Mike on September 9, 2009 7:29 PM

What about JetBlue? I am originally from Sydney, living in NYC and I HATE traveling around the US with the US carriers, but JetBlue seems to be an exception. Haven't had the pleasure of flying Virgin America yet, but I have heard good things about them.

Funny thing is you get better food on JetBlue (a budget airline) than you get on AA/UA/CA/etc.

That said, I think Qantas economy is terrible for the long-haul flights. They need to do a little bit more to increase passenger comfort.

Posted by: AV on September 9, 2009 7:56 PM

To anyone considering V America, don't. They are no better than the rest of the crappy American carriers (I am American, I have flown them all and most major Asian and European carriers as well - Qantas is by far the best!), in fact, you'll be lucky to depart at all. Just don't hope for much (apart from landing safely) and you'll be fine when you fly in the USA.

Posted by: Carissa on September 9, 2009 8:13 PM

Recently flew with Untied from Newark to Sydney. We knew there'd be nothing to eat on the domestic leg of the trip, and we knew the food on the international leg was poor quality and low quantity, so we had decided to eat a meal at the airport, take some more on board, and then do another meal at San Francisco. After all, every airport we'd been to had HEAPS of places to buy food, right?

Airport had nothing - there was a small shop but it had run out of food. We bought a couple of muffins as that was all we could get.

Untied has limited food you can buy on board. Sadly by the time they reached our row, there was nothing left.

Arrived at San Francisco so late (due to a lengthy, lengthy holding pattern over SFO) that we had to RUN to our international gate - which meant nothing to eat. Then on board, the big wait, and the horrible, small dinner - we ate everything of course; we could have chewed on the overhead lockers.

Mid flight they offered sandwiches (ie on a roll) but how the bread managed to be both stale and soggy (ie wet) at once is a mystery to me. We ate them anyway (of course) even though they were absolutely revolting - we were just desperately hungry.

By the time you add the time it had taken us to get from NYC to EWR in the taxi, the super-early arrival at the airport because we were flying domestically, the flight, the delay etc - we went for about twelve hours with nothing to eat but two muffins between four of us.... followed by really poor food and small servings for "dinner" and "breakfast" on the 14 hour flight (or however long it is) to Sydney.

It was just horrible. It was just plain not enough to eat. A lousy $10 takeaway added to each fare would have made the trip so much better and not made the flight that much more expensive.

Posted by: TBB on September 9, 2009 8:13 PM

Lived in Anchorage,Alaska for four years. Alaska Airlines were incredible compared to most, on time and good service.
I agree with the reader who says SouthWest Airlines are also OK as we used them frequently for travel in the "lower 48 States" but as for the rest they are pretty bad.
I have to add that some of the International Airlines are also bad. A Hostess on a central European carrier out of Singapore told us when we complained we could not get our tables down that the aircraft "was configured for the Asoian route, and as the Asians were smaller they required less room ". Blimey !

Posted by: Frank Doerr on September 9, 2009 8:17 PM

I think it's a totally different marketplace, which is why the amenities are so different.

That said, the Aussie perspective may not necessarily be that of the U.S.-based frequent flyer.

The casual U.S. flier is not really focused on amenities -- he flies a couple times a year, maybe shops on price only, who knows. But he likely won't know the nuances of the different carriers (e.g., JetBlue, Virgin America, Delta have personal TVs) or fly enough to have a preference. But he doesn't travel that often, so it's less of an issue.

The Elite frequent flyer, however, is often more after a program that offers perks, which makes up for the amenities. They have dedicated check-in areas, don't pay bag fees, and they're quite often sitting in First or Business (on an Economy fare).

As an example, I can fly LAX-SYD round trip for $2,200 next month, on United's new flat-bed business class if I redeem some of the upgrade certificates United gives me each year.

While I fully understand Qantas has better in-flight service (I've flown them short-haul in coach, as well as long-haul business and first), good luck flying them for $2,200 in Business Class like that.

I'm guessing, and please correct me if I'm wrong, the Qantas Elite frequent flyer is typically travelling in the class of service he paid for, which is why there is more focus on amenities.

The U.S. Elite frequent flyer often flies in a class above what's paid for, so economy amenities aren't as much of a concern.

The NZ domestic marketplace is in a somehwat related situation. The whole country can be flown in a couple of hours, so who cares about food? The Elite frequent flyers are provided lounge access with complimentary food, so the issue is addressed for Elite frequent flyers via the lounge vs. on board where they would have to cater food for everyone.

So I'll flip the issue around a bit. If Qantas were to cut amenities, frequent flyers at least to the USA who studied United's program may elect to bolt and choose United instead. After all, they'd get Premium Economy for free, and after a handful of trips to the USA, they'd be at top status which nets significant bonus miles, lounge access, international upgrade certificates, etc.

So in that regard, it's because of United's stronger program competition, that Qantas is somewhat pressured to maintain its stronger amenities (and/or vice versa).

Posted by: HMC on September 9, 2009 8:23 PM

These airlines sound like heaven compared to Tiger Airways- if you really want to go to Hell, then fly Tiger.

Posted by: Terry on September 9, 2009 9:14 PM

Sorry Jennifer , I,ve just flown with Southwest and they were crap.
Extra $20 for one medium sized bag and no food on a 5 hour flight ,
not what the website said.

Posted by: Sam Greene on September 9, 2009 9:51 PM

I have had recent good experiences on Air Canada and also on Hawaiian Airlines. Hawaiian offers good service from Sydney to various US West Coast destinations, not just Honolulu. Worth a try!

Posted by: Helen on September 9, 2009 10:04 PM

I guess United Airlines San-Francisco to Sydney has been the worst flight i have ever taken. I am vegetarian and i had the worst experience in terms of food even when i had specifically requested meals... Other than this i lived in the US for three years and American airlines is the worst in my view; however, Southwest and US Airways are pretty good airlines by US standards - except, SouthWest does not fly to all destinations internally.

I think in terms of service at the airport, in my experience you can get a lot more in the US from airlines than you can in Australia (upgrades, seating, premium economy etc.)

Posted by: US Gal on September 9, 2009 10:10 PM

While American Airlines domestic service is nowhere near the QANTAS domestic service level, its not THAT bad. IMO it's generally better than the other US domestic airlines I've had to fly with.

As far as travelling to/from the US, nothing beats QANTAS service.

Posted by: Bill on September 9, 2009 10:13 PM

I flew out of Australia and think that Quantas has gone down the toilet as well. It is the economy effecting airlines world wide. As far as US airlines, IAH in Houston has more passengers in a day than all of Australia's airports combined. Mull that around abit.

Posted by: Chris on September 9, 2009 11:03 PM

What gets me is how the American airlines have the dumbest/rudest people as gate keepers for their elite lounges. Take United's Red Carpet Club for example. It's meant to be a privilege for frequent flyers (to ATTRACT more of them) but the people at the front treat passengers with total contempt. We are Air Canada Maple Leaf Club members but were denied entry at the Red Carpet Club in Chicago. We even had the brochure to show the woman but she refused to even look at it. We had to get Air Canada to call United who called this woman before they would let us in. No apology, of course, just a glare. American Airlines is no better - they have a huge Qantas sign out front but the women at the desk keep telling me I can't come in coz I'm flying 'coach'. I always insist they check with the Qantas rep (stationed in the SAME lounge) and they roll their eyes at me. I can't believe I'm the only Qantas Club member to ever venture into the AA Admirals Club at LAX ! The security people really get me too. I mean, I don't want their job or anything but if this is such an important job (and I'm sure it is), why do they employ some of the dumbest people on the planet to do it ?

Posted by: Adam on September 9, 2009 11:04 PM

I've flown A LOT around the USA domestically, and the quality of the airlines seems to vary quite a bit.

Last time I few United was return to Denver from BWI. $500 US RETURN AND I STILL HAD TO PAY FOR SNACKS! That said, everything else about them (especially the cabin crew on the return leg) were great; much better than when I flew on them in 2000. That said, I'm yet to fly on a United plane (and there's been many!) were me or someone I'm with has arrived without their luggage....

Last Delta flight I was on was fine and dirt cheap too/

I've been on JetBlue a couple of times, and they're not bad at all; lots of creature comforts like TVs with free access. although curiously their safety announcments were somewhat lacklustre and more or less consisted of reading the booklet; no real demonstrations or announcements...

The best airline of the lot is Southwest by a thousand miles; I can't recommend them enough. They don't have that many comforts (like TVs) but their legroom is good and the planes were clean and in good nick. They were almost always on time (bar one flight where they really dropped the ball getting everyone aboard), the staff -whether it's the check-in crew or the pilots- are always super-friendly and helpful, they provide free food and snacks -which are admittedly ordinary- that everyone else charges at least US$5 for and while you have to book through their website, they're very cheap compared to the competition. Add to this that they're one of the safest airlines in the sky today and you've got an unbeatable combination. From my past experiences here and in the US I'd say that they beat Virgin Blue/Jetstar hands down. If only they flew here *sigh*.

Posted by: Some Guy on September 9, 2009 11:07 PM

United Airlines are by far the worst. (I have had the unfortunate experience of flying all of the major US airlines.) Before even being able to go to the check in counter to take a flight from Paris, the United "security guard" wanted to know if I was single, insisted on seeing my professional business card, wanted to know where I had been living (my nationality as per my passport wasn't enough)etc etc and my partner was told very firmly to "MOVE AWAY" when he came over to see why i had been held for ten minutes and bombarded with questions that everyone else seemed to escape. Then, with EVERY flight delayed, on our return we missed a connecting United flight and ended up having to spend the night in Chicago. When we went to the service counter to see if in fact it is too late for the flight and if there are any later partner airline flights we can go on, no hello, no i'm sorry, just "so, one bed then". our reply, "sorry?" The United representative's reply, "Oh are you fighting? Two rooms then." What the?? Customer service? Forget it. No internet supplied, no free phone calls to alert out bosses we would arrived home a day later, no compensation, nada and rude employees to top it off. Later while stuck on the runway for over 40 mins, a young kid was screaming because he needed to go to the toilet. When he asked the steward if he could go, she yelled at him saying, "Don't you move." We were all in shock and she must have sensed this. One minute later she came back all fake smiles and said, "OK. But be quick." And I could go on with all the stuff-ups: Indian operators that could not understand basic information in French or English)when calling from France to the point that when asking to change our name they hd missed spelt, it was understood that we wanted to change the dates; no customs forms etc for non-Americans on International flights ("Oh, you're not American??") etc. etc. but i would have to write a novel. Please stay away from US airlines at all costs - it's worth it!!

Posted by: benoit on September 9, 2009 11:14 PM

Another thing for people who have trouble booking US flights with Aussie VISA cards (a major frustration when I first started travelling solo); if I'm staying with friends, then with their permission I simply book the flights using my card details and inserting their US addresses. I've done it heaps of times and it works really well.

Posted by: Some Guy on September 9, 2009 11:15 PM

Couldn't agree more. On a recent flight from New York to Chicago and back, I spent a combined 12 hours on the ground delayed, in perfect weather, including an unbelievable 2 hours at either end parked on some distant corner of the tarmac, just so United could fudge its on-time departure stats. Not a word of apology and not a drop of water, just a continual "thank you for flying United". Never again.

European short haul carriers aren't much better, but at least in Europe you have the alternative of high speed trains. As a long term resident of Singapore, I can only suggest the US carriers look at the Asian carriers and catch a clue.

Posted by: Anthony on September 9, 2009 11:35 PM

Several reasons.
1. Premium market taken by private aircraft owned or leased. US is large enough to support a substantial internal business aircraft market. The top end of the market has abandoned airlines.
2. Massive subsidies for incumbents. Airline industry been bailed out by taxpayers on more than one occasion, so laziness persists.
3. Exclusion of foreigners. Majority foreign owned airlines not allowed to fly US domestic services, so competition is limited to local start ups.
4. Price is king in an intensely competitive market. Most routes in most countries have far less competition. US airlines are generally crap, but then people wont pay for better. American tried more seat pitch in economy and got very little new business as a result.
5. Market based on selling lots of economy class seats and upgrades to "first" domestically for frequent flyers. International long haul for most airlines is about people sitting in the front paying for the flight, with economy only profitable if it is full or nearly full. US domestic airlines operate the other way around. Economy must be full and cheap, paying first class is a bonus.

The US airline industry gets most of its revenue from domestic flights, not international, so it can go cheap on quality for international as it has US business travellers tied into deals for those routes.

By contrast, the well known good Asian airlines are all about international business, are long haul focused, have to compete with national carriers from Europe/Aus/NZ, and so win on quality. Their own domestic base being inadequate on its own.

However, internal European flights are heading like the US - as price becomes more critical, it may well be the end of the ripoff that is internal European business class!

Posted by: Libertyscott on September 9, 2009 11:53 PM

Throwing in my two cents to say that I agree with you, Ben. I live in the US and, for the most part, US airlines are pretty terrible. They will get you where you need to go safely, which I appreciate, but that's all I've come to expect from them. If I fly internationally, I try my hardest not to fly with an American carrier.

I have, however, heard good things about Virgin America and JetBlue. They don't fly non-stop from where I live to the places I normally fly to, though, so I haven't been able to try them yet, but most people seem happy with them. I know they both have personal in-flight entertainment systems.

Posted by: Brandy on September 10, 2009 12:08 AM

Credit cards? Maybe you should try using a US credit card on TAM or GOL. See what happens. There are lots of airlines that have issues with foreign credit cards on their website. The website is not intended for all countries. Use a travel agent if that's your issue.

Posted by: nun on September 10, 2009 1:06 AM

After spending a few years turning left as I entered the plane, it came as quite a shock to turn right and take my seat in an impossibly small space recently on a trip to Europe.
It does help time go by if there is in seat entertainment system.
Thai Air to Bangkok return has this installed and its great, but continue on to London and its missing, very dissapointing. The service on thai by one attendant was actually incredibly rude.
I flew a flight on KLM & despite charging excess baggage they serve food on small flights (1hr)& the hosties are always smiling genuinely.
SAS was the smallest seat I've encountered & I'm a 30" waist,you do have to pay for food, however the service was good.
The biggest issue I think that needs a seperate blog is that all airports are selling alcohol in duty free bags and when the traveller gets to the gate they are taken off you by security claiming no liquids, this happened in Bangkok. There are so many different rules do you buy alcohol prior to or at destination & where. In Sydney you buy it at airport on return. In Holland you must take it out of the country.

Posted by: Simon on September 10, 2009 1:12 AM

We all know that in the last year or so, many 'full service'airlines have cut their level of service or started to charge for 'extras' (like luggage or leg room) but American Airlines were way ahead of the game even in 2006.

In 2006 I flew AA in economy on a 7 hour return flight from London Heathrow to JFK, NY. Apart from all the annoying security issues including the nice touch of us all being questioned and searched again at the gate (as British airport secuirty was obviously so inadequate)the most dire experience was on the flight.

We were served by crew chewing gum... I mean actually chewing gum as they served and spoke to you. They rattled down the cabin shouting "Y'all done", which I took to mean had I finished. Sure enough there was a small snack to keep me going during a 7 hour plus flight but if I wanted to drink anything other coke or watery coffee, I had to pay Ryan-air prices for it. How I longed to hear "glass of wine with that sir?".

AA is not a budget airline and certainly charges more than any budget airline for its ticketing so what on earth are they doing charging for drinks?

I agree with all the points in the blog. The USA has lost its way with airlines. Maybe if we added a 20% tip to our tickets as we boarded, we'd get decent service!!!!

Posted by: Paul on September 10, 2009 1:48 AM

I live in the USA but I have worked for Qantas for 22 yrs. It really does suck flying here. The lines are long, the airports are chaos and the staff are semi-conscious and polite. My family and I always pack a big goodie bag because I have 2 young girls and there is no way I can make a 3hr flight without snacks/food. And forget the USD5.00 they charge for crisps or biscuits. At least you can still get soda/juices for free.
And it never fails - if you dont have at least a 3hour layover on your connection you end up missing the connection because of late arrivals. Southwest is the big carrier in the city I live and we try and use them anytime we can. They dont charge for checked bags -at least not yet.....

Posted by: Kea on September 10, 2009 2:56 AM

As an Australian living in the United States, I agree with this article 100%! Flying domestically in the U.S is a nightmare, and U.S airlines have really gotten worse over time.
I can honestly say that the supposed "Land of the Free" has degenerated into a paranoid quasi-police state that imposes endless rules and regulations in the name of 'Homeland Security' and/or political correctness, with little thought if the regulations make any sense in the first place.
I would advise most foreigners not to visit the United States unless you absolutely have to- and even then try to resist TSA getting everything but a DNA sample for the "privilege" of flying in their country!

Posted by: B on September 10, 2009 2:59 AM

Yo, the sentiment is so right. I use to live in HK and have to go to Boston every month or so. The Cathay flight to LA (all 15 hours of it) was OK, even in Crap Class, but then the connection to Boston was always (without fail) and complete nightmare. Not just to 9 hour connection time (being toled just to compensate for late arrival of aircraft - side note: learn from SQ shen transit times range from 1.5 to 3 hours max, and I in my expereince 95% sucess rate), but the fact they still loose or delay your luggage. OK, can understand possibly that luggage sitting at LAX for 9 hours might not be their first priority, but when you get to your destination, wait the 1.5 hours for your non-existent luggage and then when you ask (albiet with 2 hours sleep in 30), they tell that they don't know) What the ........ But rest assured,it will beon the next flight. Sorry, I thought part of the whole 911 security ammendments were that luggage travel with the traveller.

Cannot say enough but ended up always travelling BA via Heathrow so that I didn't have the hassle of US based airlines.

PLEASE FIX IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Graeme on September 10, 2009 3:04 AM

Any way to make a dollar

Posted by: inferno714 on September 10, 2009 4:17 AM

Just flew economy SYD to LA, LA to NY and back on Delta. Planes were relatively new and clean. Had 3 free meals SYD to LA, but no free meals between LA to NY. They had(working) TV Screens on all seats international and domestic. large free selection of new and classic movies on international, slightly smaller selection on domestic, but still mostly free. HBO and games were the only selections that needed payment. Interactive Trivia with other passengers was good fun and free. You could use your own head sets, without a 2 prong adaptor, as all seats have the same phone sockets as your MP3 player, or you could get freebie buds on the international leg. The buds they supply come with a 2 prong airline adaptor in case the aircraft still has the old setup. On domestic they charge US$2 for the buds. I think QANTAS still use the old fashion 2 prong socket on all their aircraft. Airline staff were pleasant. The self check in experience was not the best, as many machines had problems, and it was difficult to find assistance. The upside is that they did allow you to pick your own seat, if the aircraft still had unallocated seating. The aircraft tries to leave ahead of schedule, if they have boarded all checked in passengers, so you must check to see if you your flight is "on" schedule the day you fly or you may just miss your flight, because you checked in too late. The flight from JFK to LA left 50 mins late but they made up all of the lost time, and arrive on schedule. When was the last time you experienced an airline burning extra fuel on a domestic flight to get back on schedule. The advantage of using a single carrier from SYD to NY is that on the way back, from JFK your bags are checked all the way through to SYD, no need to recheck them back in at LA. The luggage weight restriction is generous (2 bags at 23kg max each). The are very strict on any single bag over weight and will charge excess. They will allow you to repack if any one bag is over and the other is under weight, but you lose your spot in the check in queue if want to repack (portable scales well worth the investment). Bar the check in machines, Delta gave great service

Posted by: Mike on September 10, 2009 4:32 AM

Totally agree with poster "AJ" regarding using QF 107/108 to JFK. We live in rural MA but always do the 4hr drive to JFK just to get on the Qantas flight to Sydney. Worth it. Even paying the ridiculous car park rates for the time we are in Sydney visiting family. Avoid US carriers at all costs. If you are flying to the west coast and need to get somewhere else in the US, seriously consider buying a used honda, toyota, whatever on craigslist instead and enjoy the country from their excellent interstate roads. If you are from australia you will find it liberating to drive much faster than the speed limit. 85mph seems to be the avg real speed in CA as I recall...

Avoid US airlines if you can! JetBlue may be cool but if the flight is cancelled due to weather or any reason, you are SOL.

And to all the US folks who reckon the quality they have is okay - well I'm happy you are happy.

Posted by: Norm on September 10, 2009 5:04 AM

Yup, I live and work in the US and do a reasonable amount of business and personal travel. They are all rubbish, but mostly because they're all bankrupt and have strong labour unions.

US Airways would have to get my vote for the worst, followed by Delta, United, AA and then Continental the best of a bad bunch.

Thunderstorms in the summer and snow in the winter also play havoc with flights, and don't think that if your flight is cancelled they will find another plane - no, no, you're just left to your own devices to find your way home on their other flights (at the check-in desk at the non-secure side of the security checkpoint, or worse with Delta on a 'courtesy' phone where you wait on hold for 30 minutes), which normally will require an overnight stay or a lay-over somewhere else.

I could give you a handful of nightmare stories, but I guess Ben's right: the bottom line is they get you safely to you destination eventually.

The only good thing I've heard about how bad the US airlines are, was when I friend of mine was bumped from his flight with a cute Brazilian girl who happened to be checking in at the same time as him. They were put on a late flight to a different city, missed the connection and ended up sharing a hotel room...

Posted by: CW on September 10, 2009 5:45 AM

No doubt. It is hell.

It's just like our car companies. They used to try to improve, but the unions wouldn't let them, so they just gave up.

Posted by: Thomas on September 10, 2009 5:53 AM

copy the asian and middle east models? Wouldn't it be nice to have bottomless pockets for service like Etihad, Emeriates and Qatar Airways? Wouldn't it be nice to be able to pay your employees a whole lot less? Wouldn't it be nice not to have to answer to shareholders on the lack of profits?

Oh wouldn't it be nice?

as an American, I agree that US carriers are below the comfort curve, there are great examples of great customer service and garbage service on all carriers. Quite frankly you'll never make everyone happy (I for one, wasn't all that impress with the gimmicks on my Virgin America flight, and won't fly Southwest as too often the crew think they're on PeeWee's Playhouse). But for any Aussies who moan about Qantas, you all need to start flying United, USAirways, Delta and American Airlines.

Posted by: Chris on September 10, 2009 6:14 AM

Whilst I totally agree with your generalization I do have to chime in to say that I have never turned up the day of a flight in the USA in fine weather to be told my flight had been canceled, which, as it is a form of transport, is actually the point of the thing, yet after a 15 hour flight from US to SYD, got over to the domestic terminal to be told my Bris flight was canceled, for basically no reason at all, and I had to pay my own way on the compotitor (higher rate) and wait an extra hour after a lengthy overseas flight.

Wouldn;t you know, the same thing happened to the opposite carrier on the way back from Bris. Two canceled flights with no warning in a country with a fraction of the population/schedule demands?

No argument that US carriers are not comfy or polite or great value, but they do what I have hired them to do- get me from point A to point B as long as I turn up to the gate.

Posted by: Dan on September 10, 2009 6:32 AM

There is a flight attendant called Valerie who will rock your socks off. Valerie is 76, she has large hair, she chews gum, and she smiles a lot. But dont get on he bad side.. last week on her Miami trip she threw peanuts in the face of a passenger who dared to ask for more...

Posted by: Pam Ann on September 10, 2009 6:58 AM

I am an American and I agree that airlines here are bad. Most Americans would agree! They really turned downhill when oil went to $147(U.S) a barrel. They started charging for everything and still it's a terrible experience. In my experience, JetBlue, Southwest and Continental are the best airlines here. VAmerica is still limited in its flight offerings, but we are looking forward to trying it.

I am flying to Sydney next month on United and then VAustralia. My first time down under and I am looking forward to seeing how the travel experience compares.

Posted by: Todd on September 10, 2009 7:33 AM

My 16-year-old son and I recently travelled from Sydney to Tampa, Florida and while the Sydney-Los Angeles journey on Qantas’s brand spanking new A380 was a dream; getting from LA to the east coast with American Airlines was a nightmare. We overnighted in LA and upon arrival at LA Airport discovered that our flight had been cancelled due to inclement weather at our stopover in Dallas Fort Worth. We were advised we’d be flying LA-Miami the next day. Next day came and as usual security was horrendous. To make matters worse the flight was delayed by 45 minutes. A few hours later we touched down in Miami (not a bad flight mind you) but the captain announced that all parking bays at Miami were full. So he shut down the engines and we sat on the tarmac for 20 minutes. Finally, after again apologising, the captain informed us that we’d been allocated a parking bay but not at the main terminal. To get to the main terminal we needed to catch a shuttle train. Fine, but guess what? The shuttle train had broken down! Another 30 minutes later the problem was fixed and we finally made it to the main terminal. We boarded our aircraft bound for Tampa and after sitting in our seats for half-an-hour were informed by a flight attendant that the flight was delayed because “we don’t have any pilots –they’re on an inbound flight that’s also delayed!” OMG! What else could go wrong? How about losing our luggage? Yep, we arrived at Tampa and two of our bags were missing. The AA baggage people advised us that another Miami-Tampa flight was due in 24 hours so hopefully our missing belongings would be on board too. On a previous visit to Tampa AA had lost our luggage. I guess you could say, "at least they’re consistent".

Posted by: Derek on September 10, 2009 7:53 AM

As a flight attendant for American Airlines once told me whilst waiting for a flight in a coffee line at the airport in LAX.."They treat us badly and the pay is poor.They give us the amenities of a bus so thats what we give the passengers...a bus." However dont fool yourself that Australian air carriers arnt working their way down to this level as well nibbling away at pay and conditions for its staff.

Posted by: Mike on September 10, 2009 7:59 AM

I say deal with it! Why is it that Australians are forever slamming the USA over something, anything? It is boring, tedious and a waste of time ... I suppose they suck at film making too, you know the films that saturate your head, day in and day out, year after year ... Any excuse to stick it to the Yanks you can sure rely on an Aussie to do it. And the surprising thing is, half the people (Australians) who constantly complain about America, have never stepped foot there.

Posted by: Mark Eff on September 10, 2009 8:03 AM

I agree 100%. I am American and the only domestic airlines I fly are Virgin America (new here this year and love them) JetBlue and Southwest. Sent my son to Australia and United was the cheapest option. Poor kid had rotten food, rotten service, no entertainment at all and this was 2 months ago. United, American, USAir, Delta, Northwest (one of the worst) avoid them all. Virgin then JetBlue are my choice and then Southwest for inexpensive fares and nice people but limited entertainment. I will happily pay a little extra to avoid most of our domestic airlines. I also pay for access to the nice lounges to avoid the chaos of the average US airport.

Posted by: Sheila on September 10, 2009 8:08 AM

Have just re-read some of these comments. What a bunch-of-shallow people. One person (axl) wrote he/she will avoid USA at all cost because of the airlines etc. How incredibly ignorant is that ... cry,cry,cry all the way home, "the airline was rude mummy, really rude" Get a GRIP ... And the Aussie's moan and groan over the Pom's whining and turning up their nose!

Posted by: Mark Eff on September 10, 2009 8:13 AM

I agree. And the attitude of the staff is incredible. Middle aged women who have flown for far too long.

Posted by: Greg on September 10, 2009 8:26 AM

Totally agree. We flew American Airlines from La Paz, Bolivia to Miami, then domestic Miami, Seattle, LA, Honolulu, LA, Miami. Most legs were 5 hours or more and the only food on offer was overpriced and looked disgusting. I had to make sure I had snacks for my three kids to tide them over - and try buying healthy snacks at any of those airports!
The seats are so uncomfortable, the TV's are not placed so children can see them AND you even have to pay for earphones now!
We have even flown AA business class from Miami to London (only because the AA flight from La Paz sat on the tarmac for 5 hours and we missed our British Airlines flight back to London). I felt like asking for our money back. The BC seats were probably 30 years old, didnt' even recline very far. OK, so we did have our own TV but overall the service, the food and the experience was deplorable. When compared to BA, flying business with AA is worse than flying economy with BA.
The airline totally sucks. And you are right - they are not budget airlines. And they probably don't compare favourably to budget airlines either.
Never ever again!

Posted by: Carolyn Eastabrook on September 10, 2009 8:27 AM

I have never been on US airlines but if they are like that I wont be using them. I stick with the euro airlines and the Middle Eastern ones from Australia.

Posted by: Daniel on September 10, 2009 8:32 AM

I've just come back from the US, and flew Northwest/Delta. I couldn't agree more with your comments. I also had trouble booking before I left, and had to call them. Despite being charged A$1200 for a single direct flight between LA and Indianapolis (my next leg wasn't from there as I had a car ride; apparently that makes a big difference), I had no food, a crap seat and a hideous overnight flight. Absolutely pathetic.
Waiting at Minneapolis Airport, I was stunned by the announcement. We're so used to hearing "Good morning ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to flight X etc etc." The announcement was along the lines of. "If you're seated in rows 35-44, get on board now." No flight no, no welcome, no warning, just rude.
I wish I'd known about Virgin America. I flew over with V-Australia and it was fantastic.

Posted by: tabbicatz on September 10, 2009 8:32 AM

I'm an american and for the big airlines, united, american, US Air, Delta, I refuse to fly them. I used to fly United when it was classy, now it resembles a flying bus. There are still some good ones, alaska, virgin, jetblue, but they are getting less and less. This seems typical for america. Our cars suck too!

Posted by: Kale Gray on September 10, 2009 8:39 AM

You forgot to mention Air Canada, the shame of the nation that is that northern bit of land above the US of A. 6 hours flight, you get a coffee or tea, and a 10 gram packet of pretzels. Blanket? Pillow? That will be an extra $3. Headphones to watch the two year old movie on the shared screen five rows down from you? Another $5 please, but you get to keep them...Ummm yay? Hungry? $8 for a soggy two day old sandwich. The best however is their justification of "we don't serve food on domestic flights anymore". Excuse me, but when exactly did flying from Toronto to LA become domestic?
At least the likes of Ryanair, JetStar, and all those other low cost airlines don't mascarade about as if they are anything other than a no frills airline.

Posted by: G on September 10, 2009 8:49 AM

I flew on American from LA to Dallas, and the aircraft looked like one of those old McDonnell-Douglas things last used elsewhere in the world in 1984, and the service was non-existent. The flight attendant stopped passing out free cans of Coke and packets of peanuts to flirt with the software developer sitting in the row in front of me, so nobody in the last 3 rows got offered a drink or a snack! Stuck at the back of a noisy old plane with no drink rapidly dehydrating and listening to some flight attendant gush over a guy whose money could lift her out of her mundane job and into a house in Malibu? Welcome to the land of the free!

Posted by: Travelbuddy75 on September 10, 2009 8:55 AM

I fly regularly between Sydney and LA or SF and of all the airlines, only United Airlines still does not provide personal video entertainment. For a 16 hours flight, believe me it gets boring. They also announce on the PA what is showing in First Class and in Economy and believe me, you can feel the economic divide.

Posted by: Joey Montemayor on September 10, 2009 9:05 AM

I fly Continental everytime that I can. They are by far the best US Legacy Carrier.

Free pillows/Blankets. Still serve Meals at mealtime. Video on Demand on the B757/B777 type aircraft. Regular movies on most of the other equipment. They just began installing Live TV.

Posted by: Matt B on September 10, 2009 9:08 AM

@John - try getting your information straight...airline deregulation in the US took place in 1978 under Carter, before Reagan. I know some people like to blame everything they can on Reagan, but in this case it's just wrong.

and @Jeff in Baltimore - again, '70s, not '80s. And more importantly, do you really want to go back to the days when only the rich could fly more than once every few years? In 1971, my grandparents bought me a ticket from San Francisco to Albany, NY. It cost over $300...that'd be what in today's dollars, $1500 or so?

As for the main point, I didn't read the whole thread but in the part I did read I did see one common factor come up again and again: United Airlines. Even in the US, UA is considered to be by far the worst of the major carriers, especially on international flights. They do have a few high points, particularly their "p.s." service on the JFK-SFO and JFK-LAX routes, I've taken that and it's quite good. But their planes are sorely lacking in IFE, and there are far too many employees with chips on their shoulders.

American and Delta are a little better. Personally, I'd recommend Continental and JetBlue - CO still has no IFE on a lot of the domestic flights, but they're working on it. JetBlue has live TV channels (Virgin Blue actually buys the equipment for their system from JetBlue's LiveTV subsidiary!) and better seat pitch even if you don't buy the optional "Even More Room" upgrade. And your first bag is free on JetBlue. I've heard good things about Virgin America. As for Southwest...well, you either like them or you don't. I don't - I want an assigned seat, and despite their reputation for friendliness I've encountered many quite rude FAs.

I'd also like to say I've flown Qantas within Australia, and while it's fine, I wouldn't put the experience any higher than Continental or JetBlue in the US. And I think a lot of the criticism of US airports is off-base - I've seen SYD, and it's OK but no picnic. And I'll take any US airport over Heathrow for connecting, any day of the week.

And intra-European flying isn't that much better than intra-US, even on big carriers - BA served me just about the worst sandwich I've ever had on LHR-BCN in July. And tacky buy-on-board? Let me introduce you to "Iberia", the worst airline I've ever flow on. Of course, in the US we have nothing to compare to the horror known as Ryanair, either!

Finally, on food: on trans-oceanic routes, you have a good point, and I'd avoid United like the plague on this alone. But on US domestic routes...really, just buy a sandwich at the airport. For decades people ridiculed airline food, now they b!tch that it isn't there.

Posted by: Craig on September 10, 2009 9:09 AM

well i have a slightly different view ..

of course i agree that US airlines - particularly flying in the US - are a nightmare and Chicago in particular is a disaster. I have plenty of horror stories of spending unplanned nights in chicago..

However, I am a frequent flyer to the US and i can tell you the United FF program is lightyears ahead of Quantas. I have top elite FF friends on Qantas who can never get upgraded or use their airmiles to book travel. United is very generous with upgrades to its top tier flyers, so now the comparison for me is between Business in United for a 14hr flight to the US and economy in qantas, and there, i'm afraid United wins, particularly with its new flatbed seats. Qantas needs to get its act together with respect to its FF program.

Posted by: dave on September 10, 2009 9:33 AM

Amidst all the negativity, I'm reminded of an incident at Heathrow Airport some years ago. I had to collect my ticket from the British Airways customer service desk. The bloke in front of me in the queue was a panicky American. He got to the desk and told the woman from BA that his flight to New York was leaving in 45 minutes ... from Gatwick Airport! The woman said "oh dear" and started tapping away at her computer. After about 3 minutes, she looked up and said: "I've managed to get you on a flight from Heathrow to New York leaving in one hour. Here's your new ticket. Thank you for flying BA. ... Next!" I finally learnt the meaning of the word flabbergasted. The Yank walked of in a daze. Impressive.
I've flew in the USA 10-15 years ago. It wasn't that bad. Worst experience was duty free at LA airport ... a carton of Marlboro was more expensive than at a local supermarket.

Posted by: Jimbo on September 10, 2009 9:35 AM

As a former flight attendant on Southwest Airlines here in the US, I saw the good and the bad on internal flights. The good; the Inflight team took safety very seriously and we really did like our job a LOT. A happy customer is a returning customer. Best job in the world when things go right. SWA certainly had the edge on the other carriers. Our pay was higher, conditions better.

But the bad things; security delays (beyond our control folks), drunk passengers, those people who freak out at the slightest bump and those needy ones who press that call button every three minutes ( I wanna 'nother one..and MORE peanuts!) or those geniuses who let their kids wander around the plane during taxi or descent. I'll never forget what a fellow F/A said to me as we climbed out of Phoenix bound for Las Vegas one mid Friday afternoon. The usual plane chock full of gambler wannabees and hens party participants, Elvis impersonators and and Botoxed actresses. We were looking at our company mantra on the front bulkhead during climbout. She turns to me and says "Yeah we give America the freedom to fly, it's just that they're all the WRONG people"

When fares are $79 Phoenix to Vegas or LA, you're gonna get crowds and frayed tempers and you still wouldn't believe what people will try to bring on board an aircraft....

Posted by: Paula on September 10, 2009 9:40 AM

Cannot agree more, currently in Houston but live in Perth, here on business. Flew business class from Seoul to San Fran with United, and havent been in a more dilapitated aircraft in my life. The hosties were like very very old....except its not a crime to grow old but this one was hard of hearing.....had to resort to saying pardon a few times.

The rest of hosties were American and Korean, and most of them refuse to smile, its like 'you havent paid me enough to smile' and this mind you in as they call 'First Business Class'......but the best was the meal on this 10 hour horor show, with smelly seats and one could almost smell the previous passenger sitting on it, the main course was 'Chicken Dinner' from chicken treat i kid you not. Had flown from Per-Sing-Seoul via Singapore airlines and had food created by the likes of Matt Moran......but United gave me Chicken Treat.....

Posted by: Raj on September 10, 2009 9:48 AM

The root of the bad service is the attitude of the people in the airline service industry in the US. Why is the airlines in Asian and Middle East generally much better than that of the US? The attitude. I find that the steward/stewardess on Asian and Middle Eastern airlines are more eager to please and serve the passengers. On US airlines, I get a feeling that the steward/stewardess thinks that he/she is more superior than the passanger.

Posted by: johnny on September 10, 2009 10:23 AM

As for the statement that it's all Reagan's fault, you might want to check your facts. The Airline Deregulation act of 1978 was signed into law in October of that year by, guess who....Jimmy Carter!!

Posted by: John on September 10, 2009 10:47 AM

Fly SouthWest. I have travelled with them quiet a few times and its always been a pleasant experience.

Posted by: Chelsea on September 10, 2009 10:55 AM

There have been plenty of articules and people saying how terrible US carriers are for years, so why would you go fly on one and continue to expect the world or the 1950's style of romantic flying?

The trick is research and planning. Wherever possible, do point to point flying and avoid connections. Avoid the checked in bag fee by being sensible with your packing and take ONE carry on bag - it is entirely possible. Fly in the off-peak times during the day so you avoid busy airport times and the planes won't be 100% full. Wear senisble clothes and shoes at the airport to make going through security faster.

In 2008 flew San Fran-Vancouver-Chicago-Atlanta-Miami-San Fran with Air Canada, United, Delta and American. I didn't go with huge expectations, so I wasn't disappointed. Had no connecting flights to make so wasn't TOO upset when one or two of them were late. Was never held up by security, took 1 minute in every airport. And didn't care about the food because I ate in the airport. And give yourself TIME! It always surprises me people give themselves 2 minutes to clear security and navigate through some MASSIVE airports (eg. Chicago and Atlanta).

I'll admit the 6 hours from Miami to San Fran with AA wasn't fun, but doing short 1-2 hour flights helps in limiting the pain.

Australians just love to complain and whine about anything, seriously we are worse than the British! Americans just get on with it, sure they don't like it, but they accept it and move on.

Posted by: pure_refreshment on September 10, 2009 11:16 AM

I can't believe what a bunch of whingers my fellow Australians have become. I spend 2 hours on a train each day and I don't get a free meal, booze, movies on demand, a smiling hot hostess or even a pack of peanuts during the trip. Are we so pathetic that we can't just sit down and read a book for a couple of hours without all of these "essential services"? And anyone who thinks that American airlines or airports are bad clearly hasn't done much flying with Australian discount airlines.

Posted by: Paul on September 10, 2009 11:26 AM

Ben

The problem with your credit card is the security imposed by your Australian bank that issued it.

Not the vendor wanting to accept payment.

I doubt it. Why can I use it on Priceline? - Ben

Posted by: Gary on September 10, 2009 11:30 AM

I flew AA about three years ago, and during check-in, the lady at the counter was extremely rude, made a mistake, and when I pointed out the mistake, she yelled at me that I wasn't listening to her, then I asked her to check with her supervisor, she said the supervisor was too busy, when I insisted, the supervisor told her that I was correct. This check-in person then refused to say another word to me, no apology or even that she'd finished the check-in process. She just shoved my boarding pass back at me and turned her back on me!

Posted by: CK on September 10, 2009 11:33 AM

I fly extensively in the US, Europe, and Asia -- 30-50 flights a year.

Qantas is indeed better than most (if not all) US carriers both on domestic and international, but the prices aren't always comparable.

Within the US, airlines compete mostly on price and cut back on all the extras. The price of domestic flights in the US is considerably lower than in Europe, especially considering the distances traveled.

As for flight attendants being old, that's because the US has age discrimination laws (and rightly so). Ever notice that there are no older flight attendants on Singapore Airlines? It's because they can push them out after they reach a certain age where they don't look "beautiful" any more.

In terms of flights being late more often in the US, I think that's likely. It's just a matter of scale. At any time during the day, just in the New York area airspace, there are thousands of planes in the air. If just a few are late, it can throw everyting off schedule. Many airports use all their runways to nearly full capacity -- a take-off or landing every minute. Only London (Heathrow and Gatwick) can compare, and they face notorious delays also.

If Qantas offered the frequency of domestic flights (in Australia) at the price that US carriers do (in the US), then I'd say it's a fair comparison, but they simply don't. On major routes like New York-Washington, there are flights every 30 minutes on one carrier or another. How often does Qantas fly Sydney-Brisbane?

Posted by: Justin on September 10, 2009 12:59 PM

Some have commented that flying is a bus service with wings. What point are they trying to make? If I take a long-distance bus in Asia I'll get a bed, food and service with a smile.

I'm not too bothered about the service levels on an urban bus journey provided the service is frequent, on time and not too crowded. But if I'm going to be on the bus for 12 hours and the choice is between Ameribus (old, cramped, miserable and no entertainment) or Singbus (new, comfortable, plenty of entertainment, and pleasant service) I'd choose Singbus and I'd complain if I had to take Ameribus.

Maybe its connected with the Americans love of their cars, and the real message of 'its only a bus service with wings' is 'what did you expect if you stepped out of your nice SUV and took public transport'.

Posted by: Martin on September 10, 2009 1:02 PM

And not to mention how bad american airports are!!!! I have lived and travelled extensively in asia, south america and africa, and ALL my least fav airports are in the US ... LAX, JFK and DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED on Chicago O'Hare!!!!

Posted by: jacky on September 10, 2009 1:59 PM

Paul wrote: (I can't believe what a bunch of whingers my fellow Australians have become. I spend 2 hours on a train each day and I don't get a free meal, booze, movies on demand, a smiling hot hostess or even a pack of peanuts during the trip. Are we so pathetic that we can't just sit down and read a book for a couple of hours without all of these "essential services"? And anyone who thinks that American airlines or airports are bad clearly hasn't done much flying with Australian discount airlines) MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY, YOU SAID IT WELL: ITOTALLY AGREE ...!

Posted by: Mark Eff on September 10, 2009 2:05 PM

Justin wrote: "As for flight attendants being old, that's because the US has age discrimination laws (and rightly so)".

The complaint about the older flight attendants is not that they are old, or not as attractive as those on Singapore Airlines, but that some (not all) are lazy, surly, unhelpful, no longer motivated and seem to feel they have a god-given right to their job.

Paul wrote: I can't believe what a bunch of whingers my fellow Australians have become. I spend 2 hours on a train each day and I don't get a free meal, booze, movies on demand, a smiling hot hostess or even a pack of peanuts during the trip.

Paul, if I spend 2 hours on a flight and got a good price I don't care about those things either. But I have different expectation on a 12 hour flight.

But in any event the issue comes down to comparisons between airlines. Why would I choose to take a long-haul international flight on a US airline when other airlines can offer vastly superior service?

If you could fly Sydney to London on United (via LAX), Singapore (via SIN), Cathay (via HKG), or Emirates (via DXB), would you fly United because you don't believe you need any frills, or choose another airline that offers the services without any additional cost?

Posted by: Martin on September 10, 2009 4:50 PM

And by the way , it's San Francisco, not San Fran, not Frisco.

thanks!

Posted by: Snickers on September 12, 2009 7:42 AM

After reading most of the comments, it seems that most passengers expected the minimum/standard service level of the aviation industry to be on par with Singapore Airlines, which I only heard good things about. But come on, be realistic! The airfares of Singapore Airlines must be more than the traditional US carriers (e.g. United, AA). I guess it all comes down to pay/working conditions at the end of the day. The better pay the flight attendants get, the better service they provide and vice versa. Perhaps some of your suggestions to tip the flight attendants of US carriers may be the difference.

Complaints seem to be the norm of today's Australian society. I read a newspaper article a few years ago, which stated Australians are the most demanding people in the avation industry, which I truly believe! I hear people complaint about things in cafes, shops, banks, train stations, and airports just to name a few! There are so many people in the world and when things can go wrong and it may not necessary be someone's fault. It could be the machines, weather and many other factors. I'm really sick of people making a big deal for minor issues such as no food or entertainment for a 5 hours floght or less.

I traveled from SYD-LAX-SFO-Las Vegas-NYC-London just 2 months ago. The only trip without delay was from NYC to London. Other delays were due to airport traffic, weather, and fellow passengers not cooperating. Thank God all my flights landed safely and got all my luggage, I truly don't care about the quality of food, entertainment and how old are the flight attendants because I didn't expect much at all. Just what do you people expect from a economy class to the US for the lousy AUD 1,200? The airfares are so affordable by general public these days, please do not expect royal treatment on a aircraft anymore!

If I have to rate the airlines I was on...
United - 2/5 Mainly because I was squeezed in the tiny middle seat for 14 hours.
Southwest - 2.5/5 Average
Jetblue, Swiss Air & Cathay Pacific - 4/5 Comfortable seats with lot of legroom, friendly staff, TV...

Posted by: V on September 12, 2009 4:29 PM

Thanks for this article! As a prospective US traveller, I was not aware at the major differences in airline standard between the Australian and American domestic carriers. I am very glad to have read this blog - to be forewarned is forearmed. It won't be such a shock when I receive next to no service!

Posted by: AP on September 14, 2009 12:43 PM

Returned from US today. Did a side trip to Toronto with Air Canada, no probs, came back with American, had fun trying to book tickets via their website, took two attempts online and two phone calls to discover I had to use Australian American website to use credit card. Used Aussie credit card all over for other airlines, including Air Canada and hotels, those website had Australia as options, Not American, we just don't exist.
The nightmare of checkin at US airports (3hrs at Toronto - US customs and immigration done there) was something to experience. I will never complain about Sydney airport again, just to see smiling custom officials, pleasant retail staff in duty free, glad to be home. Never ever will I travel to the US.

Posted by: Eira on September 15, 2009 5:48 PM

Airline deregulation in the US started under President Jimmy Carter, not Reagan. It created the rise of cheap fares and allowed everyone to fly.

Posted by: Jason on September 16, 2009 5:41 AM

When i went to the US a few weeks ago i was on American airlines and they said to me that i couldn't pay with cash for the food and i had to use my credit/efpos card WHICH DIDN'T WORK! i think american airlines have the rudest staff
the crapest flights with LOTS of turbulence
and the crapest service

Posted by: N1CKO on September 16, 2009 9:54 AM

I'm Australian and living in the states now. The airlines aren't great, but you get what you pay for. Chicago may be effecient but if the weather is bad you can be out of luke. We ty to avoid chicago, but from Madison both AA and UA usually have to go there. I know UA is pain to fly to Syd - but you need to go on board knowing that. I usually fly UA to syd because it is usually cheaper. Last month it was okay. The food wasn't horrible - you still get 2 meals plus a sandwich on the long flight. They keep some snacks up the back, and they frequently came round with drinks.
The important thing is go on board knowing what to expect, then you won't be (as) disappointed.

Posted by: Steve on September 16, 2009 12:03 PM

They don't have food in America generally. No coffee either nor chocolate nor any cheese. Plenty of stuff that pretends to be food though.

Posted by: percy on September 16, 2009 1:25 PM

I'm heading off the Vegas in 2 weeks and had "reservations: prior to booking my $950 return flights with United. I had a few people mention the state of aircraft - and none said they are "awesome".

I checked V Australia na dit was similar price ($8 more).

New aircraft - 777's (they have brilliant legroom and height). On demand entertainment and aussie crew (maybe ?). Hey travelled to China (Macau) last year for $380 return incl taxes with Viva macau - You dont expect all the trimmings !! (and they sure delivered to my expectations !)

Domestic flights in US I couldnt give a toss if its a 1hr domestic flight. I jesy looked for "conditions" - Baggage charges, check-in etc.

Havent had a single issue with booking US trip on card - They need the $$$$.

My $240 AUD for 7 nights on the strip in Vegas is another story !! (3 star Circus Circus). OK its not "new" its been refurbished in past 3 years - I'm not paying $360USD per night for Bellagio.

Shop around people - If its no good use a different carrier.

Posted by: Traveller on September 16, 2009 2:18 PM

two words

VIRGIN
AMERICA

freakin awesome
always among the cheapest option
doesn't matter what country you're card is from
leather seats
WI-fi & power sockets on every seats
and extra bloody leg room!!!

United was the only one I struggled with because its american site assumed you had an american billing address. I had no idea they had an australian site until I stumbled on it the second time I tried to book that flight and then I was fine. The other carriers all let you select Australia for your credit card address.

Posted by: Geoff on September 17, 2009 3:24 AM

I agree .
I just moved to Seattle from Hong Kong (I'm Aussie) and having been used to the best, the US was a shock!
I used to fly here a lot 10 years ago and the worst thing is that if you aren't flying between the main cities, there is often no direct flight so you spend a lot of time in the hubs.

One thing that gets me is that flying international into the USA you get a 2 X 20kg free bag limit but when you get here, they charge for all checked bags.....but you can take your Chihuahua on board with you!
A tip: We found if you take a cabin wheely bag and a back pack as carry on they will usually take the wheely bag as you enter the plane and put it in the hold without charging you. It's like the second baggage checkin at the door!

Posted by: Philip on September 17, 2009 3:51 AM

Tis obvious the author doesn't really get out much. Internationally, yep, US airlines pretty much reek. But, the old mare 'Q' is not what she used to be either. In the US, domestically, Southwest Airlines, based in Arizona, but flying coast to coast, sets they bar for carriers worldwide, and is the most successful airline in history. Do your homework before you shite your pants, Bob.

Posted by: Rick on September 17, 2009 7:05 AM

My son recently returned from doing a Camp America stint.(Thats worthy another story in itself!). He traveled United from Sydney to San Fran and return. That was ok. His internal flights to and from Chicago were with American. Going over was ok, but he had to change his return flight from Chicago to San Fran. No problem...add $300 (!!). Took off on time and landed at San Jose! No announcements or anything. Bundled off the plane at 9.40pm. Where's the help desk?...gone home. Ground transportation?...gone home. ATMs? None. He waited at the taxi rank for an hour. One picked him up. Can the driver recommend somewhere to stay? Got a long look, but he was nice. He took my son to a motel not far from the airport. Checked in. Midnight...the SJ Police SWAT team arrives and empties about 1000 rounds of ammunition into the room two down the corridor. He said it rivaled the final scenes in the Blues Brothers. Then the room was assaulted and "the perps", drug dealers, were arrested. Peace descended at 4am. Up at 7 to get the train to San Fran. Objected to paying for the nights entertainment. Got a steely stare. Paid by credit card...reaction to The St George logo...Whats this?? "Its a bank...just swipe it!". The machine thought for about two minutes...done (surprisingly).
San Jose was like a suburb of Mexico City....a very bad suburb.

Posted by: Stephen on September 17, 2009 9:49 AM

I flew to the US last year on United and NEVER again.

The flight attendants were so rude. My friend was severely airsick and they accused her of drinking, despite none of them having served her a single drink on the whole flight.

There was also no inflight entertainment at all - TV, music, anything - because the system had broken down. They gave us a voucher to get $25 off our next flight - a flight I will never take!

Posted by: Natalie on September 17, 2009 3:38 PM

I'm an American living in Oz for the past decade and I completely agree - I'd fly Qantas across the Pacific over United any day.

However, United's prices are often so much cheaper - several thousand dollars in some cases! - that at the end of the day...will I put up with crap food, no entertainment, no alcohol, crabby attendants, irritating policies to save a few hundred (or even a thousand) dollars on an airfare? Yes.

Posted by: sarah on September 17, 2009 9:59 PM

Virgin America is Awesome!!! and now V-Australia has brought a fresh approach to long haul travel over the Pacific!

Posted by: glen on September 18, 2009 12:01 PM

I forgot to mention. Try and fly MidWest if you can - not to expensive, nice big leather seats, and Freshly Baked Chocolate chip cookies (oops bikkies - I've been over here too long). Definitley the best I've flown in 20 yr in NA.

Steve

Posted by: steve on September 19, 2009 7:46 AM

This would be a better thread if some of the people posting had credibility. But when you have bozos like the guy who 'missed his 1pm LAX-Sydney connection'. That flight has always left around 10pm since the Pan Am days. So he is just maing stuff up.

Posted by: Sam B on September 21, 2009 4:11 PM

I just flew Thai Air from Stockholm to Bangkok then BKK-Sydney return.
While he service is good (miles better than SAS and BA which are both total C**P) there were no in seat TV.

Paul

Posted by: Paul Gilchrist on September 22, 2009 7:07 PM

How does Delta Airlines fare?

I do know that the long haul flight for United comes without entertainment etc.

I did have a fantastic experience flying with Virgin America. Can't stop recommending them.

Posted by: EL on September 27, 2009 12:37 AM

I was studying air travel eversince I became a university student in the field of "Services"...

The US carriers issue is an interesting subject. I was astonished to discover the huge number of airlines and travelers that roam in the USA.

I was even more suprised to find out that most of the fleets, such as those of American Airlines are very old!
I guess that there will come a time when these major airlines will have to "swap" for new planes and that is when they will make so many investments that their profit will shrink.

This is why, I believe the modern SouthWest, JetBlue and other low fare carriers will take over. They have less expenses, more mdoern fleets.
It will happen in a decade or two, but it will be inevitable.

Posted by: Plane Traveler on September 28, 2009 6:10 PM

Arrived home last evening from a 2 week US trip. QF A380 to and from LAX - terrific aircraft & service. the economy seats seem wide and good space between setas (like Prem Economy on other aircraft). Food good and the in-seat entertainment first class. Self service kiosks around the Economy section are also good. Flew US Airways & United internally and found the aircrew (surprisingly) attentive & personable. Soft drinks served on both legs. My previous experience flying both internally & international with American Airlines seem to match most people's experience - third world standard + woeful. Vowed never to fly them (even on QG codeshare) if I could ever avoid it.

Posted by: The Count on September 30, 2009 11:51 AM

I flew Sydney/LA with Delta in mid-August, pleasantly surprised with their seat size and space, food and particularly the seatback entertainment system.

But the domestic LA/NY leg, also Delta - awful! Small plane, tight seats, packed full, no food and a 6 hour flight. (Virgin Blue in Aus is nearly as bad these days I think.)

How can Delta have such differing standards inside and outside the USA?! At least they do have a good seatback entertainment system on domestic flights though.

Also flew Alaska Airlines LA/Vancouver and back - a much better airline (but no entertainment system). Even got a $50 upgrade to first class. Bought this ticket online with Priceline, which worked a treat.

On the same trip I flew NY/London on Virgin Atlantic, which was outstanding (particularly since I got a free upgrade to premium economy, which is like the business class of 15 years ago). On the strength of that experience, will strongly consider Virgin to the US for my next trip.

Posted by: Julian on September 30, 2009 11:20 PM

most us airlines dont recieve the same level of subsidies as nationalized foreign carriers like some of the asian and middle eastern carriers. that and the high price of fuel has forced airlines to cut every cost they could...
it still sucks though.

Posted by: jason on October 5, 2009 12:34 PM

Recently travelled to NYC from Chile with American Airlines and would have to say that if I can avoid it, I won't be travelling with AA again. Long flight, no tv, little food and then they lost our luggage. We were meeting friends in NYC who travelled from Sydney also with AA and were unimpressed to find that they had same thoughts on AA and even better - they also lost their luggage! The best part was when they acted like losing our luggage for up to 48 hours was perfectly acceptable - just great when you only have a short stay. Surely they can do better.

Posted by: Santiago Lisa on October 6, 2009 6:24 AM

My husband flew to the USA (twice) and had nothing but troubles with UNITED Airlines. His bags went to the wrong place. Flights delayed on every occassion. Bumped off flights to another carrier as had over booked flight or cancelled flight. Blew an engine from USA to Sydney and diverted. They tried to offer compo for this which is usless as you then have to spend 10 times the compo to fly back there.

Our advice is stay well away from United Airlines. He has flown with most of them and they were all 100% better than United.

Dont say you were not warned.

Posted by: Dale on October 13, 2009 3:56 PM

We did a bit of island hopping around hawaii last month with Hawaiin Arlines. It was interesting to note that on every sector there was at least one incident of seats being double booked.

Posted by: Bob Wilson on October 14, 2009 3:19 PM

I have some interesting experiences to add also!

In June 2006, I flew from Melbourne to LAX via Sydney with United Airlines (and I will NEVER fly with them again). The flight was supposed to leave Melbourne about 11am. After a bunch of excuses and at 9pm that night, the flight was cancelled. It took another hour and half to get us out of the airport. We were booked into hotels around the city for the night and provided with transport to get there (free). However! We were told that free buses would pick us up in the morning, about 6.30am and drive us back to the airport (about half an hour). The bus that arrived at the hotel I stayed at was full and myself, and others, were forced to pay for taxis to the airport. Approx $50 one way (lucky I shared with a couple of people).
People who were supposed to be on the previous day's flight (like me) as well as the people who were booked in for that day's flight were trying to book in. Finally United told those supposed to be flying that day to go home. I think at that stage United had just outsourced their check-in area (???)
FINALLY over 24 hours later, we took off from Melbourne to Sydney. The transfer between flights was very short. The flight itself to LAX was ok. I didn't have any problem with the staff, though there was just a large screen (no tv screens on back of seats). As my first long haul international flight this didn't bother me.
So we reached LAX safely (and reached customs just in front of an Air France flight - which would have sucked). Going through customs was fine. Then went to baggage claim. No bag. About 50 people on my flight didn't get their bags. I found out my bag had gotten from Melbourne to Sydney.
I was supposed to fly from LAX to Minneapolis via Denver the following morning. At the airport, I had to line up on the pavement before lining up inside the building! I had no idea where I was going, tried to ask and no one would help me! The only person who tried to help me was a fellow Australian. Finally booked into my flights using the machines but my flight to Minneapolis had been cancelled. I got on the waiting list for another flight and got myself to Denver. I spent a good couple of hours waiting in customer service (what customer service?) in Denver, was booked on a United partner airline (name escapes me), reaching Minneapolis about 11pm! My luggage arrived about a week later!
Leaving the United States, my flight from Chicago was delayed. I then missed my connecting flight from LAX (but was provided with a hotel room for nothing). Was so relieved to touch down in Melbourne!
In terms of security, I was able to get an aerosol can (deodorant) that was banned since the liquid terrorism plot about a month previous, through security at Minneapolis airport, through security at Chicago airport and through security at LAX. It was finally taken off me in Sydney.
In 2007, I flew to America with Air New Zealand via Auckland. The stopover was great to refresh the legs. The staff, the plane, the food, was great. I really enjoyed Air NZ and they will be my airline of choice across the Pacific from now on. (I also flew back from San Fran as I was desperate to avoid LAX at all costs!)
I flew domestically on American Airlines (AA) while in the US in 2007. My flight from LA to Chicago (a night flight) was the scariest I've ever experienced. I was just glad to survive. I did not feel safe on AA and will have to re think airlines when heading to the US next time.

Posted by: Melanie on October 14, 2009 8:16 PM

Tried to fly out of Buffalo in October 2006 the day the city was hit by the biggest October snowstorm in 140 years. Airport closed down at about 8.00pm. Asked the US air staff when the next flight would operate. The answer from their rep...'its a crapshoot' then he slammed down the shutter.

Posted by: neil on November 11, 2009 2:51 PM

I have flown Hawaiian from Syd.There prices are generally cheaper then the rest with real friendly hawaiian staff.Also Air New Zealand i have very good.Mainly for there entertainment and friendly staff.